Guest guest Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 In contrast to a couple of centuries ago, when surgical anesthesia consisted of a shot of whisky and a bullet to bite down on, pain management today is a highly refined art. Still, most pain specialists would tell you that, more often than not, successful treatment is the product of a methodical process of trial and error. And what works for one person may not work for you. For that reason, it makes sense to become familiar with all the options and experiment until you find your own personal pain relief strategy. In some instances pain is easy to identify and treat: Pain from appendicitis is cured by removing the appendix, for example. A simple headache may respond to an over-the-counter pain reliever. When pain becomes chronic, however, doctors rely more on a strategy of combining several therapies in an effort to disrupt the pain process in as many ways as possible. A wide range of pain treatments are now available, ranging from simple aspirin to implantable morphine pumps and from massage to injection therapies. Different treatments can work together to augment one another’s effects. For example, physical treatments such as massage may reduce the amount of pain medication needed by a person with low back pain. Likewise, painkillers may allow the person to exercise and strengthen muscles that support the spine. Because weak muscles cause many cases of low back pain, strengthening back muscles can alleviate backaches. Indeed, physical activity and exercise can help to alleviate — and prevent — a number of painful conditions, ranging from stress headaches to arthritis. When treating pain, doctors generally prefer to start with the therapies that have the fewest negative consequences. This often includes aspirin or other mild pain relievers combined with heat, cold, exercise, and other physical therapies. Depending on your progress and diagnosis, the doctor may suggest different or stronger medications — including those developed specifically to treat your condition and others that may surprise you. (Some of the most effective pain medications now in use were originally developed to treat heart disease, mood disorders, and seizures.) If medication strategies do not provide sufficient relief, the doctor may recommend injection treatments and other specialized procedures (including surgery) if these interventions seem warranted. These techniques are performed by specialists with advance training and some have risks — including the possibility of making the situation worse — that you should consider carefully. Alternative therapies have grown increasingly popular for pain relief. Many of these techniques — including meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and guided imagery —focus on the mind/body connection and draw upon the body’s natural pain-fighting mechanisms. Many people find it helpful to combine such alternative therapies with more traditional pain relief strategies, for maximum relief. This report discusses all of these options in more depth and reviews pain relief strategies for common conditions such as arthritis, back pain, and headache, as well as serious diseases such as cancer. Your doctor can also provide you with valuable information about which therapies might be most helpful for your condition. Try not to become discouraged if the first treatments recommended don’t work. In most cases, other options exist. Your doctor will be able to modify your treatment plan based on your feedback. For this reason, establishing a good dialogue with your doctor is crucial to the success of your treatment. If there's no fun in it, something's wrong with all you're doing. ~N.V. Peale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 > > > If medication strategies do not provide sufficient relief, the doctor may recommend injection treatments and other specialized procedures (including surgery) if these interventions seem warranted. These techniques are performed by specialists with advance training and some have risks — including the possibility of making the situation worse — that you should consider carefully. > Alternative therapies have grown increasingly popular for pain relief. Many of these techniques — including meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, and guided imagery —focus on the mind/body connection and draw upon the body's natural pain-fighting mechanisms. Many people find it helpful to combine such alternative therapies with more traditional pain relief strategies, for maximum relief. > This report discusses all of these options in more depth and reviews pain relief strategies for common conditions such as arthritis, back pain, and headache, as well as serious diseases such as cancer. Your doctor can also provide you with valuable information about which therapies might be most helpful for your condition. Try not to become discouraged if the first treatments recommended don't work. In most cases, other options exist. Your doctor will be able to modify your treatment plan based on your feedback. For this reason, establishing a good dialogue with your doctor is crucial to the success of your treatment. > > > > I must say that one group of pain specializes, that I did not realize were anesthetists until I had a severe fibro attack that was trigger by my m-i-l in 8 hours, I had been told if I developed a severe attack to call them. Despite the fact that it was the Friday before Memorial Day, one of the doctors was in and had time to see me. That's when I found out that I would get a pain block in my sterum. After about 5 or 6 injections, I asked him to stop --- he had said when I could feel them (I was getting meds via an iv, but one spot was so sore, I could not take another needle in my sterum.) But I can only say that for the next 6 days, I was able to tolerate my m-i- l!!! And I am hoping that when we move next summer, I find that at least one of the pain management clinics in the area, has an anesthetist on staff. I would also like to find someone who could work with me so that I could learn to use biofeed back. The one person I tried to work with had recorded her own relaxation tapes and her voice grated on me so much, I wanted to rip the headphones off my ears. But the antidepressants I take help a lot and I know if I am going to have a bad time, I have a strong pain med I can take as well as several other things. But moving from an urban area to a very rural area, it may be a challenge for me! Welcome to all of the new people on the site! I know you will find it to be very supportive and that many of us are going through the same experiences at the same time! Which can make it very helpful. > > If there's no fun in it, > something's wrong with > all you're doing. > ~N.V. Peale > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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