Manage Pain the right way.

For many, living with pain is simply a part of life. But with today’s exercise programs, medications, and other medical breakthroughs, it doesn’t need to be.?

Addressing pain is of prime importance as the aim is not just to survive into bare existence and the quality of life is important.

Early initiation of treatments is specially a priority in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis where treatment delays can translate into detrimental consequences and long-term disability.

Pain is one of the commonest reasons for medical consultation and it affects the lives of more people than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.

The top three causes of global disability - low back pain, depressive disorders and headache disorders are all either chronic pain conditions or strongly associated with persistent pain.

Disclaimer:?The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate.

Thank you?... Most of us have endured finite episodes of severe pain whether that be headache, toothache or a fractured bone, and are fortunate to remember these as distant memories.

Some are, however, denied this luxury of forgetfulness and suffer from chronic pain which explained simply is pain persisting beyond the healing period of 3 months.

Persistent pain beyond this period can lead to changes in the nervous system and transform into continuous pain even after the original cause for the pain is removed, and hence timely treatment is a priority.

With the aging population and changing lifestyles worldwide, this initiative started 20 years ago has even more relevance in today’s time. The fact that surgery or pills cannot resolve all pain has been long recognised.

Treating chronic pain is however challenging as we all experience and process pain differently. This explains why one plan or approach may not work for all and the need for an individualized, multi-disciplinary and multi-modal approach.

Chronic pain?

Fibromyalgia?

Low back pain?

Arthritis?

?Headaches?

Pain after shingles?

The impact of pain is not just limited to physical suffering as it affects all aspects of one's life.

It is not uncommon for people to become irritable, depressed, anxious, socially isolated, feel helpless, develop strained relations, have financial and work problems. In chronic pain the disability is not always visible, making it challenging for others to appreciate what one is going through.

Another challenge relates to the lesser-known pain conditions which fall between medical specialities with no one being able to pinpoint the root cause and the patients keep seeing one specialist after another with a battery of investigations coming back as normal.

YOUR PAIN SPECIALIST

Pain medicine specialists are doctors who have received higher training in diagnosing and treating different types of pain conditions, especially the complex pain conditions.

You can view them as a doctor who is an authority in managing pain and he may be able to offer treatment options which you may not have heard of, and which are not available elsewhere.

Chronic pain is one of the most important causes of depression as feeling recurrent pain can also prevent the patient from living his life normally.

Chronic pain can also cause:

Developing sleep disorders.

Loss of appetite and constipation.

Loss of libido.

Anxiety and stress.

The patient may also become unmotivated to perform the daily activities, tasks and even going to work can become difficult.

So pain management is very essential so the patient can move forward in his/her life.

How to manage pain:

Initially, a diagnosis and an evaluation of the case must be performed by a specialist.

Specialists Methods of pain management:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Acetaminophen.

Opioids.

The patient should consult the doctor to determine the appropriate doses for the condition and based on the severity of pain, also the patient should adhere to these doses to avoid any side effects as much as possible.

Pain management using heat or cold temperature exposure:

Cold or hot compresses (depending on the condition) can help relieve pain.

Pain management with exercises and physiotherapy:

Walking, elongation and strengthening exercises can improve the patient's movement while reducing the severity of pain, enabling them to carry out their daily activities.

It’s important that exercises should be gradually increased, to avoid any side effects.

Pain management with body massage:

It is also a type of physical therapy and is more suitable for pain caused by soft tissue injuries.

Pain management by reducing stress:

Meditation and yoga exercises are used to reduce stress and tension caused by chronic pain.

Pain management with cognitive-behavioral therapy:

The patient is trained to change the way they think and feel about chronic pain.

Pain management through acupuncture:

An old Chinese method to relieve pain.

It is worth mentioning that the doctor in the pain clinic is the one to choose the pain management method that suits the patient’s condition to help control chronic pain and improve their overall quality of life.

?If you liked this post from?DAYAL why not share it?