The Opioid Crisis and Pain Relief Alternatives
Opioids are chemicals that interact with the opioid receptors in your nerve cells. They can be natural, created from the opium of poppy plants, or synthetic, created using chemicals in a lab. The term opiates is sometimes used to refer specifically to natural forms. Opioids reduce pain, but they also cause a feeling of euphoria, a “high”, which is why they can be misused.