Pain Management

People will always suffer pain, be it emotional and physical and learning about pain management and how to treat the pain can be frustrating at first. Fortunately for physical pain though, there are so many approaches that can be used to manage the physical pain a person feels. One such approach is pain management. Remember we are talking about a multidisciplinary approach. Not simply medicating the problem.

Pain management is the aspect of medicine that deals with relieving the pain. There are two types of pain that pain management addresses - chronic and acute pain.

Chronic pain is pain that has been present for a long time. It is somewhat more difficult to treat as well as diagnose. This kind of pain may be caused by cancer, which is a very painful disease; or neuropathy, which is a disease of the nerves. Chronic pain is usually irreversible, or at the least it will take a long time for the pain to go away. Because of this, the patient will be on pain management for a much longer period of time, usually years.

Acute pain, on the other hand, is easier to treat and diagnose as this kind of pain may be the result of trauma. It is also reversible, meaning, once the damaged part of the body is healed, the person's pain will go away. The course of treatment also takes a much shorter period of time, usually weeks to months.

Pain management is a combination of approaches, not just one. The patient will benefit from getting pharmacological aids in alleviating his pain symptoms. Such pharmacological aids include narcotics and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The patient will also benefit equally from nonpharmacological aids such as physical therapy with the addition of heat and cold application, exercises, and interventional procedures. Likewise, psychological aids or alternative methods will also be beneficial to patients suffering from pain, such aids include biofeedback, relaxation techniques, cognitive therapy, acupressure, acupuncture, and aromatherapy. In my opinion the last resort to addressing pain, be it chronic or acute pain, is surgery.

Because of these different aids in pain management, the patient can be treated by different specialists like the anesthesiologist, the physical therapist, the neurologist, surgeons, etc.

As stated above, pain management gives the patient a lot of benefits. First and foremost is the alleviation of pain. Without this kind of treatment, the patient will suffer more from the pain, and untreated pain can worsen the patient's condition and prolong the recovery period. Take for example an athlete who has a fracture. If the patient does not go on pain management, the pain will definitely hinder his movements. The pain will prohibit any movement the athlete makes using the inflicted part of the body, and if he stops moving his joint altogether, he can suffer from contracture. But with pain management eases the pain and allows him some movement until such time that he has regained full range of motion in the joint and is ready for stretching and strengthening of the joint muscles as well as ligaments.

The feeling of comfort that pain management gives the patient allows the body to heal much faster as well as prevent complications, or at least lower the risk for complications.

Risks in Pain Management

Pain management does carry risks with it. For starters, patients suffering from chronic pain and who are on narcotics and other pharmacologic aids are at risk of developing addiction to the drug. This has been a proven case as more and more people who have chronic pain become dependent on the drug that they became addicted on it in the long run.

NSAIDs or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs also carry with it the risk of developing stomach problems and, if long term use, kidney complications.

Likewise, there are also the side effects associated with medication use. Be it for chronic pain or acute pain, the patient may still feel some adverse side effects from the medication like nausea, vomiting, allergic reaction, lethargy, constipation, etc.

Lastly, if surgery is the last option for pain management and control, the patient should know that there are risks as well as complications associated with surgery, be it simple or major surgery.

Safe Pain Management Methods

Of course, if a patient does not want to take drugs for his pain management, there are several options that he can choose. Among them is physical therapy. In physical therapy, you can make use of TENS or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator. This works by transmitting electrical stimulus through the pain area, which deadens the pain and allows movement. Cold and heat application are also used in physical therapy prior to stretching and strengthening programs. Ultrasound as well as massage can also be used to alleviate pain.

Another safe method of pain management is biofeedback and relaxation techniques. It is an alternative method of controlling pain in which the patient has to be totally aware of his bodily responses to pain stimulus. By being aware of it, he can consciously control his response to the pain.

Other alternative methods of pain management are acupuncture, which deals with the insertion of needles in various body parts to "restore balance" in the body, and acupressure, which deals with putting pressure on various body parts also to relieve pain.

When we feel pain, we don't want to aggravate it or risk feeling more discomfort by moving around too much. People suffering from pain have a tendency to be less physically active but aren't aware that this leaning towards a more sedentary life can actually increase the pain in the long run, turning it into chronic pain.

Exercising doesn't have to mean running a marathon around the track or pumping irons in the gym. Regular moderate exercise can help to strengthen the muscles, increase flexibility, and even reduce pain. It really does make sense because stiff, taut muscles are more prone to injury and pain as opposed to loose, well-toned muscles.

Pilates - this very useful and worthwhile system is well known for improving the condition of injuries and pain, whether it be temporary or chronic. Pilates is used in many physiotherapy clinics as a major part of the recovery process for people who have been injured in an accident. How does Pilates work? Well, the specially designed exercises and equipment that is used in Pilates targets important muscle groups in your back, neck, abdomen, and legs. These exercises work well in strengthening and stretching those areas so that they are less susceptible to injury, strain, and pain. Many instructional Pilates books can be found in your local bookstore and the necessary equipment can found in your local gym, department store, or readily ordered online. This type of treatment is definitely worth a shot if you're suffering from chronic pain and want to see results.

Yoga - People from all walks of life and for all types of reasons have been practicing yoga for ages. Yoga helps a great deal with increasing your body's flexibility and keeping your muscles and posture in proper working order. Without proper exercise and mobility, our muscles become sluggish and lax and this results in bad posture, neck and back support, and overall pain. There are many different forms and levels of yoga but the easiest ones can be learnt quite quickly from either a book, video, or on the Internet. One good thing about yoga is that it doesn't take very long to go through a few stretches and you can usually benefit from them either after you've woken up or before going to bed at night.

A lot of pain can be easily avoided by practicing some easy to learn and remember safety tips. One of the most important is knowing that staying in the same position for an extended period of time can cause pain. This means that if you're sitting in front of a computer all day or at a desk or find yourself standing on your feet for hours at a time, you may actually be causing your pain. It may surprise you to know that sitting down can actually tire out your muscles because they're being forced to hold the same position for too long. Standing up regularly and lightly stretching can refresh your muscles and relax them. Likewise standing for too long also puts a strain on your muscles so try moving about or sitting down every now and then to give them some variety. By regularly shifting your position or moving around, you allow your muscles to break out of their forced position and stop the pain before it starts.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is another common cause of pain. Once again, stretching between doing repetitive movements or taking a break at regular intervals can save you from a lot of pain and misery in the long run. People who find themselves doing assembly work or doing anything that requires the same action to be repeated numerous times tend to suffer from this type of pain. Every thirty minutes or so (less if you can help it) you should be stretching your arms, rolling your shoulders, and moving your head and neck around to get it out of a locked position. If you're at a computer, try looking up and from side to side every now and then. Stand up, take a few moments for a couple of leisurely stretches and even walk around if you're able to so that you prevent that annoying cramp in your neck from turning into something a lot more serious.