Everyday pain management ideas

The term vulvodynia refers to chronic pain in the external female genitalia with no apparent cause. It is estimated that somewhere between 200,000 and 6 million women are affected.  It seems that white females, African American, and Hispanic women are affected equally.  A woman of any age from the teen years upward can be affected. Researchers are looking at several possible causes of this "private" condition but they have not come up with a concrete answer just yet. Sexually transmitted diseases do not seem to predispose females to this condition.  Other causes that are being explored include genetic factors, nerve injury/irritation, hormonal changes, frequency of antibiotic use, and history of sexual abuse. A woman with vulvodynia may experience one or many symptoms, including burning, aching, soreness or itching.  The problem may occur frequently, occasionally, or rarely.  Sometimes certain situations may bring on the symptoms--exercise, tampon insertion, or intercou

When I recently wrote a post about pain coaching services, I mentioned the term "functional restoration program."  I realized after the fact that this is something I've never mentioned before in my blog..so in today's post I would like to give you a little introduction to that concept. When researching for this topic, I noticed that I could not find a strict definition for a functional restoration program.  What I can tell you is that a functional restoration program is a multi-disciplinary approach to problems such a chronic pain.  The treatment team may involve physical therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other specialties, depending on the individual program. As an example of this, here is some information from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Spine Center regarding their functional restoration program: “Our goal is to treat the whole person, recognizing that pain and disability affect all aspects of a person's life. Each patient

Have you ever seen anyone wearing a back brace...similar to the image above?  Such devices provide support to the spine.  These devices help to heal a back injury and provide support in a preventive way.  You can purchase such a device at many medical supply stores and pharmacies. What if you could achieve the same kind of support using your own muscle tissue?  There are many advantages to this: 1) You never have to worry over whether or not the fit is correct. 2) You don't have to put it on or take it off. 3)  It works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 4)  It's 100% natural. 5)  Your body shape will change in appearance...for the better! Looking better helps one to feel       better. If this sounds good to you...I have good news for you.  It is possible to achieve this goal!  I wrote a post about this concept (known as core training) last year, if you are interested click here to read more. There is a brief description of core training and also there are a couple

Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder in which pressure on certain points in the body (known as trigger points) causes pain in another part of the body, seemingly unrelated.  This is commonly caused by the muscle tension that results from repetitive motion. We all have aches and pains due to some kind of hobby or job responsibility that we repeat again and again, but in this syndrome tends to persist, or even get worse. At the present time treatment for myofascial pain syndrome includes physical therapy and/or injections into the trigger points.  There are also massage or chiropractic techniques known as " myofascial release " that may be of help. Sadly, not all chronic pain conditions can be "cured" and this condition may well be one of those.  Even though that may be the case, there are many things that can be done by a patient or his/her treatment team so that the patient can live with their condition more comfortably.  It is important t

Have you ever heard the expression, "Laughter is the best medicine"?  Well, to some extent this is true.  All too often we take life much too seriously...and that includes everyone, not just chronic pain sufferers. Laughter is a distraction technique. If you can learn to step out of the box for a bit and enjoy some comedy, it just might help your pain tolerance levels to improve. I just read an article about this topic, and the author recommended some funny movies that might help my readers in this way.  I could post a link to the article, but I think I'll just send you a list of the movies instead.  These are by no means the only movies that ever made anyone laugh..but I hope they make your day a little brighter!   Bridesmaids (2011)   Some Like It Hot (1959)  Tootsie  (1982)   Groundhog Day (1993)   Annie Hall (1997)  Airplane! (1980)   The Producers (2005)  Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)  There's Something About Mary (1998)  The Hang

There are a couple of alternative medical treatments on the marketplace for osteoarthritis of the knee that I have not yet mentioned on this blog.  They are injectable products that are intended to replace the synovial fluid of the knee joint.  Synovial fluid is an important component in all joints throughout the human body; its purpose is to reduce friction and lubricate the joint, making our every movement a smooth operation. When osteoarthritis sets in, this fluid is lost over time and eventually the bones rub against each other, causing increased pain in the afflicted joint. Sanofi-Aventis was one of the first companies to enter the marketplace with a solution for this problem.   Synvisc, an injectable product that is intended to replace the synovial fluid of the knee joint, entered the marketplace several years ago.  It can provide relief for up to six months post injection.  The downside is that there are some cautions and warnings, such as the risk of severe allergic re

What is compassion?  According to Dictionary.com ,  compassion is defined as : " a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." When people have compassion for you, they are expressing their care and concern for you and your situation.  If you are a person who suffers from chronic pain and you sense this coming from others, it is certainly appreciated.  But that's not all... Even though you suffer from chronic pain...and maybe have some disabilities related to your health...you can give the gift of compassion as well!  There are benefits to this that you may never even thought of! 1) Being compassionate toward others does not require any physical exertion whatsoever.  You can give oodles of care and concern to other people without ever lifting a finger!  You may even notice that the more compassion you have for others, the more you will receive in return. 2)If y

Here's an insightful article written by a massage therapist about a developing trend in nursing home care.  The addition of massage therapy to a nursing home's spectrum of care is a safe, practical modality for patients who are confined to such a facility.  Note that this is not a curative treatment.. it's a it is a compassionate non-pharmacological means for a nursing home to help those who are have chronic pain, dementia,anxiety, etc. Sources: MassageToday, livelighter.org

If you are reading this, you have probably experienced a scraped knee, a cut finger, maybe even requiring sutures at one time or another in your life.  These are acute wounds; they require some attention for a short time, the healing process takes hold, and they are forgotten.  Some disease states however, are known to lead to chronic wounds, or put another way, wounds that do not heal too quickly. Weeks to months of treatment may be required to achieve resolution.   Some examples of what we're talking about here are: diabetic ulceration ulcer formation following chemotherapy pressure ulcers (bed sores) At some point or other, these types of wounds will require treatment, maybe even amputation.  It is not unusual for pain medications to be prescribed for relief of discomfort.  But there are many things that help to relieve the painful condition brought about by these conditions that don't involve medication at all.  Hyperbaric oxygen chambers are one exa

Many of the children's hospital in this country use alternative treatments to enhance pain management practices for their pediatric patients. For instance, some time ago I posted a story about one pediatric hospital that uses "Carly Consults" ...Carly is a dog and she is used for animal therapy at their institution.  Many forms of occupational therapy are used in these hospitals as well..for instance, music therapy and/or crafts. The reason I am bringing these up in today's posts is this:  these kinds of activities are forms of distraction therapy.  They are just as useful in the adult population as they are for children.  Why not learn a new craft technique or buy a new jigsaw puzzle and put it together?  It might be much more beneficial than you might think! Sources: East Valley Tribune; Wikipedia

A new approach to some forms of chronic back pain is on the horizon...and it appears to begin working rapidly when it is used!  The treatment we're talking about here is an interventional radiology procedure that can be used for compression fractures due to osteoporosis, or spinal cancer. Compression Fracture of the Spine The technique involves using x-ray guidance to guide a needle into the involved area of the spine. Bone cement is injected into this space..as it is injected it is the consistency of toothpaste, but within a short time becomes hardened.  Once hardened, it stabilizes the affected area..an "internal cast" of sorts! This procedure, known as vertebroplasty originated in France in the 1980s.  It is a minimally invasive procedure, and many patients notice a reduction in pain within 24 hours of undergoing treatment.  It is usually a one-time procedure but re-treatment may be indicated if new problem areas develop. Sources: HometownFocusUS; Wikiped

Here is an interesting Newswise article about the role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in arthritic mice. While it remains to be seen how this translates to humans with arthritis, there's a lot of discussion in the nutrition world about  many health benefits  of Omega 3 Oils, including cooking oils,eggs, nutritional supplements, and natural food sources such as certain types of fish, seeds and nuts. You can read this article by clicking the link below. Omega 3 Fatty Acids Lessen Severity of Osteoarthritis in Mice Sources: Newswise, Wikimedia

When you suffer from a chronic condition--regardless of what condition that might be, you have to learn how to live within your limitations. At first, this is not so easy. Part of this is denial on your own part; it's hard to admit that things are not quite the way they used to be.  This would be admitting weakness, perhaps? Still other times, other people are the culprit.  When you are home on disability, they may think you are just twiddling your thumbs and need to be doing things to keep yourself busy.  They might be asking you for a favor--running an errand, making phone calls, etc...never stopping to think about the possibility that this is too much for someone who is chronically ill. That is where you have to take ownership of the situation...you have to learn to say no more often. You have to learn to say no to yourself when you have the urge to push through something that's really too much under the circumstances. You have to say no to others sometimes as wel

Neurometrix , a developer of wearable medical technology recently launched a new device in the pain management marketplace. It's called SENSUS(2nd generation), a newer version of what is essentially a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. For those who are unaware, diabetics suffer not only from difficulty in controlling blood glucose levels. They can also be afflicted by a myriad of other complications as well, including neuropathy which begins as a "pins and needles" sensation in the extremities, especially in the legs and feet. Sadly over 50 percent of diabetics suffer from this condition; the chronic pain aspect of the problem can negatively effect quality of life. Having good control of blood glucose levels helps to slow progression of this condition; unfortunately as it progresses it may even result in total loss of sensation. To give you an example of the problem: back in college I had a friend whose m

Back in 2010, a study published in the Journal of Pain suggested that overweight/obese persons with fibromyalgia syndrome had greater pain sensitivity, decreased quality of sleep, and reduced physical strength an flexibility. This might lead some to believe the combination of being overweight and having fibromyalgia is hopeless.... Interestingly enough, the study did not mention whether or not the subjects were overweight prior to their diagnosis, or if coping with the struggles of fibromyalgia led to weight gain.  In either case, weight management has its benefits and it's always a good idea for all of us be cognizant of our weight and our eating habits... Now, fast forward to 2014.  In a study published in Rheumatology International, Castel et. al concluded that there is no real difference in response to multi modal treatment for fibromyalgia with respect to body weight/body mass index. This is good news.....multi modal treatment of fibromyalgia seems to

As a follow up to yesterday's post, I would like to share an example-- how early interventions to treat pain at the source make good sense. Thoracic placement of spinal cord stimulator image source: wikimedia Spinal cord stimulators are medical devices that have been in existence since the late 1960s-early 1970s. When a patient has chronic back pain, a device like this can be surgically implanted ..the actual device sits in the abdomen, while the electrodes are placed in the epidural space of the spine.  Once activated, the device sends electrical impulses that scramble the pain signal, and in doing so, muffle the pain sensation for that patient.  The device is programmable, so that it the signals it emits can be adjusted  after implantation as needed by the patient's health care team. A recent study at Regina General Hospital in Saskatchewan regarding these devices yielded some interesting results.  Krishna Kumar, MD and his group studied 443 patients wh

It recently came to my attention that people who use opioid medications for pain management might not understand the difference between drug abuse and addiction. It is possible for an individual to become addicted to a drug even when it's prescribed for a legitimate medical condition and is taken as directed.  Consider the definitions of these words: Addiction : Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's physical control. Drug Abuse: Habitual use of drugs to alter one's mood, emotion, or state of consciousness. As you can see from the definitions above, addiction and abuse are not the same thing.   That is the slippery slope when patients use opioids for pain management.  This is not to say that opioid medications have no place in pain management; it is simply a fact that when the opioid pain medications are used routinely over time, addiction will happen .  It does not matter if the user is abu

The alpha-stim is an FDA cleared medical device that has been available since 1981. It has been approved for use in anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic or post-operative pain. There are two basic models: The Alpha- Stim M and the Alpha-Stim AID.  The difference between the two models is that the M model is more suited for those with pain issues, while the AID model is applicable to anxiety and depression. This device has been said to be more cost-effective than medication over time. After the initial expense of purchasing such a device, there are a few parts and accessories that may be needed for routine use and maintenance, but they are not expensive to buy. Here are some graphics from the Alpha Stim website that illustrate my point: This device came to my attention when I saw an article online that mentioned that the US government is making this device available to its service members who suffer from PTSD. Some insurance companies

Long term solutions to chronic pain are very important, and now that the FDA is limiting availability of opioids it it becoming increasingly important to know what options are available. One such form of treatment is nonsurgical procedure known as nerve ablation. One method of accomplishing this is the use of extreme cold (cryoblation).  Techniques that employ a chemical such as phenol or alcohol (chemical neurolysis) encompass the second of these methods. Thirdly is a technique known as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which is the topic of my blog post today. The "pros" of RFA include the fact that it is reproducible. RFA is also extremely precise, and highly effective.  The RFA technique is also known to have a good margin of safety, so patients can have a sense of relief about that! A little background... The earliest accounts or RFA can be traced back to the 1930s. It has been noted that this technique was used as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia.  More

If you've ever seen a television ad for Cancer Treatment Centers of America , you might recall that the patients featured usually talk about the treatment approach there--that is, being treated a a whole person. In all the months I've been posting this blog, I am hoping that you can see that the same approach is becoming a model in the world of pain management.  By treating the patient as a whole--it is possible to target chronic pain from many avenues at the same time. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine had many wise things to say in this regard.  Here are some examples: " Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease." "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." "It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has." When one is faced with