Explore Topics

Chronic pain can occur in any area of the body, and those that have it just want it to go away. Thankfully, in recent decades the practice of pain management has evolved so that patients can go see a physician specifically trained in treating people’s chronic pain. This type of pain is that which has no biological function – as in to protect a person when they step on a piece of glass or burn their hand. When the foot or the hand keeps hurting weeks and months after the initial injury, this is the pain. Whether it is six weeks or six months, it will most likely not go away without some form of treatment.

Types of Chronic Pain

This pain can take the form of headache, backache and referred pain to the arms and legs. Often, when a disc, padding between the vertebrae of the spine, has slipped or ruptured, it will put pressure on the nerve that comes from the spinal cord. This nerve pressure, depending on where it is in the back, can cause pain in the arms or legs and this is called referred pain. Headache is pain that can occur as a result of neck vertebrae damage, cancer or other sources of unknown origin. Arthritis, osteoporosis, scoliosis, cancer and cancer treatments are other sources of pain.

Diagnosing Chronic Pain

If an individual has been suffering for more than three months, it can be classified as chronic pain and the best idea is to seek treatment from a pain management physician. The nervous system can become compromised if the pain is not treated early enough and then it becomes more difficult to treat. Proper diagnosis of the condition is paramount for getting solutions. Diagnostic Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), discography, Current Perception test and Muscular Ultrasound are some of the specialized options a pain management physician can use for diagnosingthe pain.

Various Treatments for Chronic Pain

Once the source of the chronic pain has been determined, a physician can then prescribe treatment. First round of treatment will probably include massage, physical therapy, hot and cold packs and back supports where required. Some other treatments may include bed rest and medication. Electrical nerve stimulation, radiofrequency, spinal cord stimulation, dekompressor discography, blocks and epidurals are office procedures, and minimally invasive surgery may also be considered. With all of the technology at the hands of the physician, some form of treatment can address the pain.

Medications for Chronic Pain

Specialized medications for chronic pain have been developed and are being researched and introduced on an ongoing basis. As with any prescription or even over the counter (OTC) drug, each individual taking them will react differently and side effects can make a difference in their success. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Motrin and Aleve) are the most common OTC drugs taken for pain and an individual will most likely have already taken them to address their pain before seeing a doctor. The difference is that the Acetaminophen is not effective in reducing pain where there is inflammation involved. That’s why it’s best to be properly diagnosed for pain before taking too many of these pain-reducers. Prescription medications include those with steroids, narcotics and anti-convulsant properties and must be taken only under a doctor’s supervision.

A physician will work with the source of a patient’s pain to attain relief. He will start with the least complicated and least invasive procedures or medications until the patient finds respite from his or her chronic pain.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/diagnosing-different-types-of-chronic-pain-and-their-treatment-4792647.html

About the Author

If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain, the Spine Center at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial offers back and neck pain relief. http://www.TalkBacktoPain.com

If you are looking for additional information about chronic back pain read http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Marvelous-Amazing-Back

What is Chronic Pain? If you experience chronic pain, you need no explanation for what it is, what if feels like or how debilitating it can be. You do not need to read how it affects your ability to work, to sleep, to have a social life, or to have freedom. You certainly don’t need to read about how shameful it can feel to have to explain to family, lovers, friends and strangers how you can’t participate in certain activities because your life hurts-literally. If you don’t live with chronic pain, it may be easy to think there are so many options to treat pain that there is no real reason to live with pain. But not all pain can be treated by medicine, pain treatment medications, chiropractic treatments, alternative medicine, acupuncture, exercise, yoga, meditation or even prayer. Chronic pain by its nature is pervasive and insidious despite all attempts to reduce or eliminate it. The sufferer has to find a way of living with the pain and finding a way of having some kind of meaningful life despite of it. This is a huge challenge that I can poignantly testify to. Chronic pain is pain that just does not go away. The pain varies in intensity and even location. Sometimes the pain can be emotional and equally if not more severe than physical pain. It is distinct from acute, short-term pain. It often interferes with quality of life in very important ways as stated above. It is also interconnected in many ways. One area of your life spills over into another. For example, the pain causes sleep loss which lowers your immune system which can lead to other compound illnesses. The cause of chronic pain can be:

1. A diagnosed illness or disease.
2. An undiagnosed illness or disease.
3. An injury or accident including victim of child abuse and domestic violence.
4. Repetitive motion injury.
5. Exposure to poor ergonomics and working conditions.
6. Exposure to chemicals, toxins or pervasive poor nutrition.
7. A combination of psychological, emotional and spiritual causes.
8. And sometimes simply for unknown reasons.

No one would guess that I suffer from chronic pain. I smile as much as I can, I watch my posture when I can, I force myself out into the world and do what I call “acting happy” to get through most of my days. I don’t want to worry those around me or make them uncomfortable. I seem agile and fit. I do exercise and take as good care of myself as I can. But I am in constant pain and excruciating nonetheless. Anyone who gets close enough to me will know that I sometimes have to miss certain events, or activities and they will wonder why. Or when I am somewhere I may not be my normal and jovial self. At some point, I choose to disclose to certain persons I do have debilitating chronic pain. Not an easy admission for the go-getter I have always been. But I had to find a way to transform the shame I felt about being in pain into constructive and positive action. I don’t have a definitive answer to eliminate or even reduce pain, but I have ways which I choose to cope, adjust and live despite of it.What CAN be done about chronic pain? I always try to combine the right and left brain on things. Use common sense and should you be fortunate enough to have medical insurance, seek a professional doctor’s opinion, a second opinion or even third if you have to. It’s your body and your pain. If you don’t have traditional insurance, seek clinics or medical centers which are free or sliding scale. They are out there and you deserve help for your pain. Do lots of research, there is plenty of information that can provide you comfort. Below are some of the things I have discovered help–see if they work for you. Unconventional things that help with chronic pain:

1. Continue to LIVE despite your pain. May people with chronic pain consider suicide because they feel life is unbearable. But you can have a life of quality and happiness. You are here for a reason, trust in that.
2. Laugh as often as you can, it is truly a miracle pain reducer.
3. Try treatments like medication in moderation and with supervision. You deserve better than to let your chronic pain make you dependent on a substance that will only make things worse in the long-term.
4. Explore reputable alternative treatments with care and research.
5. Give yourself love-once you love yourself, acceptance comes next. With that a wordless freedom ensues.
6. Find a support system-you are not alone. Even if it feels like you are, you are not. Even if you are home-bound, or don’t have immediate family or friends, there are sources that can come to you via books, magazine, websites, organizations, spiritual groups, and volunteers that can provide you the solace you seek.
7. Get an animal companion-this is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself and for a loving animal. It is documented that companion animals provide unconditional love, support and healing for those with chronic pain. I can most fervently attest to this.
8. Continue to find the source. It may not stop the pain, but can provide insight and wisdom as to the big picture, non-judgmental reason you are experiencing this challenge.
9. Use items or products specifically made for those in pain (like easy open jars, motion sensitive soap dispensers, etc.
10. Be proud of who you are no matter what.

There is no shame in pain, but shame can be a pain….like I said laugh, even at the silly and absurd.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/the-shame-of-living-with-chronic-pain-and-finding-the-freedom-to-live-3576208.html

About the Author

Diana Navarro performs intuitive work which is a culmination of over 21 years of crisis counseling/intervention, academic advising, business consulting, academic and independent research proposal analysis, and interpretation. Much of the work incorporates decades of spiritual inquiry, and experiential background.

Part of her healing services includes one-on-one intuitive consultations, creating and conducting workshops, lectures, seminars on all things intuitive. She is currently working on various fiction and non-fiction writing projects on psychological, social, humorous and spiritual topics.

Diana Navarro hosts her own radio show called Diana Navarro Show, Working Things Out on all things Intuitive, Fitness and Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit, with an emphasis on intuition, intelligence and common sense integration in order to live a joyful life. This show is on the Centanni Broadcasting Network and is featured both live on Tuesdays at 6pm and are archived for ON-DEMAND hi-definition listening.

She incorporates musical singing performance in much of her work which can be viewed on her website or YouTube. In addition, Navarro uses her personal weight-loss experience and research to promote personal fitness with restorative yoga and strength training to promote health of body, mind and spirit.

Navarro was born and raised in New York City, lived in San Francisco for few years and is currently back in New York. She has a Bachelor’s in General Psychology, Master’s of Science Degree in Psychology and studied three additional years at the doctoral level conducting research on Near Death Experiences and Environmental Psychology.

1. Learn deep breathing or meditation to help with chronic pain.

Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body relax, which eases pain. Tension and tightness seep from muscles as they receive a quiet message to relax.

Although there are many to meditate, the soothing power of repetition is at the heart of some forms of  meditation. Focusing on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase — a mantra — causes the body to relax. While you can learn meditation on your own, it helps to take a class.

Deep breathing is also a relaxation technique. Find a quiet location, a comfortable body position, and block out distracting thoughts. Then, imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, filling your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon.

2. Reduce stress in your life. Stress intensifies chronic pain.

Negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress, you may find some relief from chronic pain.

Several techniques can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Listening to soothing, calming music can lift your mood — and make living with chronic pain more bearable. There are even specially designed relaxation tapes or CDs for this. Mental imagery relaxation (also called guided imagery) is a form of mental escape that can help you feel peaceful. It involves creating calming, peaceful images in your mind. Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique that promotes relaxation.

3. Boost chronic pain relief with the natural endorphins from exercise.

Endorphins are brain chemicals that help improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise has another pain-reducing effect — it strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain. Plus, exercise can help keep your weight down, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar levels — especially important if you have diabetes. Ask your doctor for an exercise routine that is right for you. If you have certain health conditions, like diabetic neuropathy, you will need to be careful about the types of activities you engage in; your doctor can advise you on the best physical activities for you.

4. Cut back on alcohol, which can worsen sleep problems.

Pain makes sleep difficult, and alcohol can make sleep problems worse. If you’re living with chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol can improve your quality of life.

5. Join a support group. Meet others living with chronic pain.

When you’re with people who have chronic pain and understand what you’re going through, you feel less alone. You also benefit from their wisdom in coping with the pain.

Also, consider meeting with a mental health professional. Anyone can develop depression if they’re living with chronic pain. Getting counseling can help you learn to cope better and help you avoid negative thoughts that make pain worse — so you have a healthier attitude. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

6. Don’t smoke. It can worsen chronic pain.

Smoking can worsen painful circulation problems and increase risk of heart disease and cancer.

7. Track your pain level and activities every day.

To effectively treat your pain, your doctor needs to know how you’ve been feeling between visits. Keeping a log or journal of your daily “pain score” will help you track your pain. At the end of each day, note your pain level on the 1 to 10 pain scale. Also, note what activities you did that day. Take this log book to every doctor visit — to give your doctor a good understanding of how you’re living with chronic pain and your physical functioning level.

8. Learn biofeedback to decrease pain severity.

Through biofeedback, it’s possible to consciously control various body functions. It may sound like science fiction, but there is good evidence that biofeedback works — and that it’s not hard to master.

Here’s how it works: You wear sensors that let you “hear” or “see” certain bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension. The squiggly lines and/or beeps on the attached monitors reflect what’s going on inside your body. Then you learn to control those squiggles and beeps. After a few sessions, your mind has trained your biological system to learn the skills.

9. Get a massage for chronic pain relief.

Massage can help reduce stress and relieve tension — and is being used by people living with all sorts of chronic pain, including back and neck pain.

10. Eat a healthy diet if you’re living with chronic pain.

A well-balanced diet is important in many ways — aiding your digestive process, reducing heart disease risk, keeping weight under control, and improving blood sugar levels. To eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet, choose from these: fresh fruits and vegetables; cooked dried beans and peas; whole-grain breads and cereals; low-fat cheese, milk, and yogurt; and lean meats.

11. Find ways to distract yourself from pain so you enjoy life more.

When you focus on pain, it makes it worse rather than better. Instead, find something you like doing — an activity that keeps you busy and thinking about things besides your pain. You might not be able to avoid pain, but you can take control of your life. Source:www.webmd.com

Informative and Accurate Articles, News and Features

About HEALTH, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, NEWS, BUSINESS

And SPORTS…. A click away http://www.reportersarchive.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/11-tips-for-living-with-chronic-pain-4707538.html

About the Author

Mr. James Adam..An outstanding reporter in a leading News Channel in South Asia.

“Reporting in Accurate, Informative and useful manner is my passion.”Said James

For more details: http://www.reportersarchive.com/

Tests on Chronic Pain Models – A revelation
The term ‘chronic pain’ can be defined as pain that lasts for more than three months.  The difference between chronic and acute pain is that it is much more complex to find the underlying cause of chronic pain.  Diagnosis might not reveal any outward injury and yet the patient could be undergoing debilitating pain and depression if the issue is not addressed immediately.
Chronic pain could well be termed as a disease and the pain could be classified as neuropathic pain as well as inflammatory pain.  When the neurons are damaged (peripheral as well as central nervous system), then it could be termed as neuropathic pain.  The pain could also be due to some inflammation and this in itself could cause some more damage to the neurons which may result in neuropathic pain.
Chronic pain is considered to be the major cause for depression in patients.  A lot of attention has been placed on why the depression sets in (in patients with chronic pain) but there is not much information through the empirical studies that have been conducted to predict anything on the chronic pain models.
Recently, tests were conducted on chronic pain models and the findings have shown that although chronic pain is associated with depression, the main underlying psychological cause had not been determined.  Studies on chronic pain models have shown that the chronic pain is a major contributing factor in an individual’s perception of themselves.  Patients who suffer with chronic pain perceive that they cannot have absolute control or mastery over various activities. 
The test results of chronic pain models have confirmed that the other hidden variables are the underlying psychological factors which could be the main contributing factors of depression and not the chronic pain alone.  Results from these studies are contrasted with other studies as well, where chronic pain and depression supposedly have the same etiology.
 

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/research-and-tests-on-chronic-pain-models-3715162.html

About the Author

Pharmaseed LTD is a boutique contract research organization for the pharmacology and drug industry.

In Arizona, getting use to the heat is probably a necessity. Arizona summer’s can raise temperatures well into the 110′s, sometimes even into the 120′s! If you’re not from Arizona, the summers here can be hard to handle, sometimes even painful, but if you’re an Arizona pain doctor, the summers can be very busy. Temperature sensitivity is a chronic condition for many pain patients, and hot summers or cold winters can have an awful affect on pain tolerance.

Extreme weather, in any form, can wreak havoc on chronic pain. Whether you’re living with RSD or CRPS, arthritis, RA, fibromyalgia, or a host of other chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, extreme heat and extreme cold can have a tremendous affect on how you will feel that day. I know it might be hard to believe, but while there have been many studies over the years by pain doctors, researchers and scientists, there is still no definitive evidence that weather truly affects pain.

Patients in all three groups experienced more pain on days when the temperature was low, while people in the control group were unaffected by any of the weather conditions. In addition, patients with rheumatoid arthritis were affected by high humidity and high pressure; osteoarthritis patients by high humidity; and those with fibromyalgia by high pressure. However, the associations were not strong enough to allow pain to predict weather, or vice versa.

The other study looked at 154 people (average age 72) who lived in Florida and had osteoarthritis of the neck, hand, shoulder, knee, or foot. Participants reported their arthritis pain scores for up to two years, then researchers matched the scores with the daily temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation status. No significant associations were found between any of the weather conditions and osteoarthritis pain at any site, except for a slight association between rising barometric pressure and hand pain in women.  –MDJunction.com

Many of our Arizona pain patients will tell us that the summer months bring muscle aches, muscle tightness, swelling, and a more lethargic mindset. Many of the ‘normal’ functions and relationships between the body and the temperature outside are tossed out the window when it comes to chronic pain. Conventional wisdom would state that pain increases in colder weather when the blood vessels constrict and the muscles tighten. And yet, any Arizona pain doctor will tell you that chronic pain increases in the hot summer months when patient’s complaints turn to stiffness and sluggishness.

Summer Pain Due To Dehydration

One reason that many Arizona pain patients feel an increased amount of chronic pain in the summer months is simply due to water intake. As any Valley resident knows, water is incredibly important, especially during the summer. The first thing anyone will tell you when you move to Arizona, or if you’re visiting during the summer, is to have water with you at all times. Being from other states, many visitors will give you a funny look when you tell them this rule of thumb. But after a few hours in the sun they’ll understand.

Dehydration can cause sluggishness and lethargic attitudes, as well as extreme headaches, dizziness and bowel issues, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing, and fever. All of these symptoms can greatly increase your chronic pain, and if you’re living with chronic pain symptoms you might not even realize that your body is trying to tell you it’s dehydrated.

There are some chronic conditions that actually put you at higher risk for dehydration such as adrenal gland disorders, chronic fevers, alcoholism, and liver disease. In the most serious cases, swelling of the brain can occur as well as seizures and kidney failure.

Summer Chronic Pain Prevention

Unfortunately, patients living with chronic pain will be at greater risk for dehydration and increased pain during an Arizona summer. However, there are steps that you can take to prevent increased pain.

• Drink water! As Arizona pain doctors, we can’t stress this enough. Drinking enough water is crucial to preventing dehydration. Even the slightest amount of dehydration can increase your pain, and though you might not sense the signals that your body is sending your, not drinking enough water is a recipe for disaster.
• Avoid overdoing it. During an Arizona summer, it’s best to not overdue it with any strenuous activities. Heat stroke is another concern for all valley residents, whether you’re in chronic pain or not, so limit your time in the sun to avoid over-exposure. Know your limits and stick to them
• Listen to your body. Above all, do your best to listen to what your body is telling you. If you start to feel a spike in pain, slow down, drink more water, and get out of the heat.
• Stay active. This might sound like a contradiction, but try to remain active during the summer. This is a great time of the year to do some swimming in the evening when the sun has set. Quitting your exercise regiment or physical therapy in the summer months simply because of the heat can be detrimental to your overall health.

 For more information, visit http://www.ThePainCenter.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/arizona-summer-heat-and-chronic-pain-4587460.html

About the Author

Kandice is the CEO and founder of Linwright Design, a Gilbert web design and marketing company that focuses on content marketing. Google for more information.