Everyday pain management ideas

When looking for material for this post I decided to share this informative piece from WebMD:   Chiropractic Care for Back Pain Among people seeking back pain relief alternatives, most choose chiropractic treatment. About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually. Of these, 7.7 million, or 35%, are seeking relief from back pain from various causes, including accidents, sports injuries, and muscle strains. Other complaints include pain in the neck, arms, and legs, and headaches . Learn The Truth About Back Pain Causes and Treatments What Is Chiropractic? Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments, the theory being that proper alignment of the body's musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine, will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication . Manipulation is used to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by a traumatic event, such as falling, or repetitive ...

Reiki is a complementary alternative medicine that originated in Japan in the early 20th century.  It is a spiritual practice, but not religious in nature.  The practice of Reiki requires "touch" between the practitioner and the client, but this can be direct or indirect in nature.  Reiki serves to support the body's innate ability to heal itself.  It may facilitate reduction in anxiety or bolster immune strength, and perhaps play a role in pain management.  The practice of Reiki benefits both the practitioner and the client in these regards. Ultimately,  Reiki serves to balance the positive and negative energy forces within an individual. The beauty of this practice stems from several factors.. 1) Anyone can be taught how to practice Reiki.  It is easy to learn and there are no prerequisites. 2) There are no regulations to the practice of Reiki. 3) Reiki is non-invasive. 4)An individual can perform Reiki on their own body. For more informa...

Today's post is about the topic of palliative care.  Palliative care is a subspecialty in the  broader field of pain management, and its main purpose is to focus on quality of life rather than prolongation of life.  This type of care is mainly when patients and their families are going through serious illness.  Many people think that palliative care end-of life care, but in truth it can be of use at any point in time during a serious illness. Typically palliative care practices involve a care team which can include physicians, social workers, spiritual care, nurses, counselors, etc.  The team approach can help patients with many kinds of needs during their course of care.  Some examples of palliative care include: --spiritual care or counseling for the patient and/or family --wigs for patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy --pain management needs (medication and non drug measures) --needs for home health equipment -- placement in a care ...

When looking for resources to write this section of my blog, I came across an article from Pain.com that I will share below.  I could not express my own thoughts on this topic any better than they do--but if you are in a hurry, here are the key points from my perspective: 1) A well balanced diet has positive effects on overall health, and inasmuch as that affects     mood, weight control, etc. it affects the impact of pain on daily life. Conversely, a     diet that is lacking in nutritional needs is akin to running a car engine on bad gasoline--     it simply does not run efficiently/well.    2) A dietician is a good person to consult if you have no idea how to improve dietary habits. 3) Some foods may be more beneficial at helping lower pain levels if we but include them    in our diets. As promised, here is the article from Pain.com. You can click on the image to go to the actual article.

The promotion of regular sleep is known as sleep hygiene . The following is a list of sleep hygiene tips which can be used to improve sleep. A good night's sleep is something we all should strive for as much as possible.  It is a basic body necessity and ensuring a good night's sleep contributes much to our overall health and well being.  Did you know that there are many things we can do while we are awake to help improve the odds of a good night's sleep? Here is an article from the University of Maryland Sleep Disorders Center with some very good ideas for you! Sleep Hygiene Helpful Hints to Help You Sleep Poor sleep habits (referred to as hygiene) are among the most common problems encountered in our society. We stay up too late and get up too early. We interrupt our sleep with drugs, chemicals and work, and we overstimulate ourselves with late-night activities such as television. Below are some essentials of good sleep habits. Many of ...

TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , has been in existence since the days of ancient Rome.  The basic idea is that electrical impulses the use of electricity across the surface of the skin to modulate, or confuse the pain signal sent to the brain via the nervous system .  It is not the best remedy for everyone, but it has its place in modern medicine.  TENS units are available from medical supply stores and are relatively inexpensive to buy and use.  Sometimes the best option is a surgically implanted unit is the best option for a patient. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerve_stimulation

Relief from chronic pain can also be accomplished using a technique that come to us from ancient Chinese medicine.  These techniques seek to restore balance to the life force of the individual (Qi). The practice of acupuncture began in China nearly 2500 years ago.  The acupuncture practitioner seeks to stimulate certain points on the body to restore "Qi" (pronunced chee ) using small needles in an effort to re-establish this harmony. Modern practice of acupuncture has evolved to include the practice of acupressure, in which the practitioner uses fingers to apply pressure to these key points in place of needles. Additionally, some practitioners use needles that supply low frequency electrical current, known as electroacupuncture. There have been studies reveal that these practices have proven to be beneficial in some patients. It is always best to do further research if you are interested in these practices, and discuss your situation with your health care team before pr...