Guest guest Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Learning How To Break Pain Cycles For some people, pain can be tolerated at high levels; this is someone who has a high tolerance for pain, and others have a very low tolerance. For most people, pain is cyclical. Pain produces anxiety and this can intensify the pain. Fear and anticipation of physical problems can also heighten the pain leading to feelings of depression and helplessness. When one experiences this pain, we tend to limit our activities which can lead to a chronic " pain cycle " . This will adversely affect one's confidence and self-esteem. Being aware of a chronic pain cycle and understanding its psychological effects, can help you avoid being drawn into the cycle. In this cycle, which tends to begin with long periods of rest and inactivity, this causes a loss of physical strength, flexibility and endurance. As a result, you begin to lose confidence in your ability to do things, which causes you to lower your personal goals. The inability to do your usual activities, then allows you feelings of frustration as you see yourself now as being unproductive which in turn, lowers your self-esteem and may further lead to depression. When the lower end of the cycle comes around and you are feeling th pain less than usual, we then have a tendency to overexert ourselves in an effort to prove to ourselves and others that we are still capable of doing the things we could do before we had the pain. As a result of the overexertion, the pain tends to return more severe than before. Discouraged and in pain, you begin limiting your activity again, therefore the cycle begins once more. Source of Relief from Pain 1. Cold Applications This application often feels best on acute injuries, where the pain is often hot to the touch or has a feeling of heat radiating from it. Ice numbs the area, reducing pain. It also constricts blood vessels, limiting blood supply to the injured site. This action decreases swelling. Ice can also decrease muscle spasms. If an area is painful to move or swells after exercise, use ice. Apply ice or a frozen object, such as a bag of corn from the freezer, to the injury. Be sure the area is protected from the cold application and not applied directly to the skin. The cold will reduce swelling and pain at the injured site. This step should be done as soon as possible. Apply the frozen object to the area for 20 minutes, every two to three hours for the first 48 hours. 2. Hot Applications This application is often most affective for chronic injuries or pain that is cold to the touch or has cold radiating from it. It is very useful with injuries agitate by cold or damp weather. Heat increases local blood supply, bringing healing cells to the area and potentially relaxing tight muscles. Use moist, hot towels or microwavable heat packs for no more than 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. Never sleep on a heating pad. 3. Anti-inflammatories from aspirin to herbal compresses, anti-inflammatory applications can reduce the recovery time by half if done within the first 24-48 hours of an injury or painful attack. 4. Lancing or Draining Abscesses, reducing swelling from painful sprains and strains and toxic swellings from insect bites are all very important reasons for lancing and draining an injured area. In Chinese Medicine, cupping is done after the lancing to draw out the blood from the area. This is a very affective method used to decrease the amount of time it takes for the area to heal. 5. Rest This can be the best medicine for any condition from a cold to a broken bone. Rest rejuvenates, repairs and reassembles. For acute injury, rest and protect the injured area. If it hurts to bear weight on the injury, use crutches, if it hurts to move the area immobilize it with a splint. 6. Compression and elevation tend to go hand in hand. Compress the injured site by applying an Ace bandage. This will decreases swelling of the injured region. Although the wrap should be snug, make sure it is not too tight as this can cause numbness, tingling, or increased pain. 7. Elevation of the injured area above the level of the heart as much as possible. This technique will also assist in reducing the amount of swelling to the injured site. 8. Exercise conditioning and stretching certain pains can improve from stretching such as painful stiff muscles and joints by increasing blood flow to these areas. Weight baring exercises are beneficial for improving strength and bone density. Restoring movement and normal function to an injured area is critical. Learn to stretch to improve your flexibility. 9. Dietary Changes So many aches and pains can be eliminated by the proper foods we choose to eat. Weight gain affects our joints, heart, circulation and blood pressure among other conditions. Change your diet and change your life. 10. Root Cause Treatment Pain is the result of injury or disease. With acute pain, the cause is often obvious. A fall resulting in a painful scrape or twisted ankle. In chronic pain, often the pain has been with you for so long, it is hard to pinpoint the real cause or root cause of the disorder. Most alternative health therapies see the occurence of disease as the results from an imbalance. The treating of the root of primary cause of disease is what makes a root cause treatment very affective in the long term. It does not just treat the symptoms of that disease. Therapies for Breaking Pain Cycles Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine: One of the strongest areas in Chinese Medicine is that of trauma remedies. Cuts, bruises, lacerations, sprained joints and pain are just some of the daily problems, which can pop up unexpectedly. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the oldest, continually practiced, and professionally administered health care system in the world. It is a documented medical system spanning over 2,500 years based on comprehensive philosophies, rational theories, clinically tested and empirically verified by over 100 generations of highly educated practitioners. Chinese Medicine is a total system of internal medicine which is comprised of a diagnostic procedure based on signs, symptoms and treatment styles including acupuncture, herbal medicine, exercise, diet and meditation. It's foundation is based on the principles of balance; the interdependent relationship of Yin and Yang. Through this balance, health is achieved and maintained. Herbs are the " medicinals " in holistic healing. Chinese herbs are specifically used to create a decoction or " tea " and is a very powerful part of healing dis-ease. Herbal decoctions may also be given in " tea pills " , tinctures, granules or as an external patch, compress, or bath. " Where there is stagnation, there is pain " . Poor circulation is the cause of 1000 diseases. In Chinese Medicine, blood stasis and Qi stagnation reduce the free flow of blood and vital energy resulting in pain. Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a technique that trains people to improve their health by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. Electrodes attached to your skin measure these processes and display them on a monitor. With help from a biofeedback therapist, you can learn to change your heart rate or blood pressure, for example. At first you use the monitor to see your progress, but eventually you will be able to achieve success without the monitor or electrodes. Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions, but it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence. Chiropractic Care: Chiropractic care is a science, art, and philosophy of healing that has been practiced around the world for nearly 5000 years. Physicians in ancient China used spinal manipulation or tuina to help their patients, as did Hippocrates. Chiropractic care has gained respect as a safe, drug-free, and natural treatment for: headaches, joint pain, spinal disk conditions, and strains, sprains, and other injuries. Chiropractic can also offer significant relief for allergies, asthma, digestive problems, and other disorders. Chiropractic care works by strengthening and balancing the nervous system in order to promote the healthy functioning of the body. Your central nervous system consists of your brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of your body, and it controls the function of virtually every cell, tissue, organ, and bodily system. One of the most common causes of nervous system disruptions is subluxation or joints that are locked up, fixated, and not moving properly. Chiropractic care includes gentle massage and manipulation of the spine and extremities to restore proper joint function and strengthen supporting muscles and soft tissues. CranioSacral Therapy: CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the function of the craniosacral system - the physiological body system comprised of the membranes and CSF or cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. CST enhances the body's natural healing processes to improve the operation of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress, enhance health and strengthen resistance to disease. The method generally requires only a very gentle touch to test for restrictions in various parts of the craniosacral system. Often the evaluation alone will help solve the presenting problem. Among the dis-ease conditions for which CranioSacral Therapy has shown to be effective are: migraine headaches, neck and back pain, hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, learning disorders, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, depression, emotional difficulties, Infantile Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Healing Touch Therapy: There are many different approaches to massage and applications of it. " Massage Therapy " is a holistic procedure that affects all systems of the body; digestive, elimination, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic, endocrine and nervous systems. Many of today's health problems arise from stress. Pain can trigger stress and just the opposite is true as well. Because stress upsets the delicate integral balance of all your body's functions, regaining this balance requires a holistic approach. Massage Therapy and Lymphatic Drainage Massage not only treats those parts of you which are a problem, but also affects the whole of your metabolism through normalizing your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems and their interdependent functioning. Massage for pain is effective by detoxing the whole system and can be done with soothing pain relief massage oils or relaxing body lotions in order for the practitioner's hands to " glide " over the body with smooth, relaxing strokes. Remember: often where the pain is felt is not always the source of the pain. Referred pain echoes to nearby regions and parts of the body that are the weakest for us. SomatoEmotional Release: SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a therapeutic process that helps rid the body and mind of the residual effects of past trauma and associated negative responses. Its origins date to the discovery in the late 1970's by E. Upledger, DO, OMM, and biophysicist Zvi Karni, PhD, that the body often retains rather than dissipates physical forces resulting from an accident, injury or emotional trauma. The trauma causes the body to isolate the dysfunctional area, creating what Dr. Upledger has termed an " Energy Cyst " . Although a reasonably healthy body can work and adapt to Energy Cysts, extra energy is required to perform normal bodily functions. As years pass, the adaptive pattern of the body loses its effectiveness. Symptoms and dysfunctions begin to appear that become increasingly difficult to ignore or suppress. Trigger Point Therapy: Trigger Point Therapy or Myofascial Therapy is a unique treatment protocol for the treatment of myofascial pain. Trigger Points produce pain locally and in a referred pattern and often accompany chronic musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the muscles into pain-free habits. Treatment of trigger points involves the application of sustained pressure for a period long enough to release the muscle spasm, which is causing the pain. The Trigger Point Therapy procedure is one of the most powerful, yet simplest ways to treat muscle pain. Based on the idea that pain in a certain muscle group stems from where the muscle insertion is, the particular muscle group innervates and its origin, great relief can be accomplished by massaging these regions. These are only a few modalities that have been most affective for treating and breaking pain cycles. I suggest you explore the therapy that works for you! Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac http://peacefulmind.com/pain.htm Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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