Everyday pain management ideas

 I never thought much about this issue until I knew a few people who were diagnosed with breast cancer and had chronic pain afterward. As you can see in the study below, it is not that unusual.  So today, as I was looking for information to blog about support bras for mastectomy and lymphedema patients, I found this and decided to share.  My thoughts go out to all of the brave souls who have battled this terrible disease, or who are battling it now. As for all others, this is a solid reminder that monthly breast checks and yearly mammograms are so very important! Postmastectomy Pain Most Troubling Problem for Breast Cancer Survivors Nov. 6, 2013 — More than 40 percent of 200,000 U.S. women diagnosed with breast cancer every year undergo surgery. Though treatment advances have significantly reduced mortality from breast cancer, a study published in The Journal of Pain reported that persistent postmastectomy pain is rated by survivors as their most troubling symptom. The

Pain and Sleep Gilles Lavigne, DDS, MSc, FRCD How significant is the pain and sleep problem? In the adult population, about 15% of those surveyed report experiencing chronic pain. However, in older adults, that number rises dramatically to over 50%. Among those experiencing chronic pain, about 2/3 report poor or unrefreshing sleep. The problem of pain and sleep becomes even more complicated as commonly prescribed medications used to relieve pain, such as morphine and codeine can fragment sleep. How does pain affect sleep? First, we know from numerous studies that the problem of sleeplessness caused by pain is preventable with appropriate strategies. When pain is first experienced, most people do not experience sleeplessness. However, when pain becomes a problem, it can be a vicious cycle. If someone experiences poor sleep due to pain one night, he or she is likely to experience more problems the next night and so on. It gets worse and worse every night.

People with chronic pain disorders come from all walks of life.  Rich, poor, young and old are affected by various health issues that cause chronic pain.  If you, too, suffer from one of these disorders--know that you are not alone!  If you belong to a support group, you know this to be true. In an earlier post I shared information about the importance of having supportive relationships when you have chronic pain issues.  This can make all the difference in the world! Your family and friends may not understand exactly what you are going through but they still can help you through those tough days. Life will go on whether you get caught up in your health issues or not.  It is a good idea to live life to the fullest and minimize the bad times as much as possible.   This is true for all of us, whether we have chronic pain or not.  I hope today you will decide that it is better to focus on the positive, if you have not already done so. Lastly, I will share with you some interesting t

After all this time of posting information about ways to manage pain and various chronic pain issues it occurred to me that I had not posted anything to describe pain management . So in today's post I would like to describe pain management in my own words..feel free to comment because these are my thoughts.  You can only enhance what I am going to say here with anything relevant you have to contribute! So here goes: Pain management is a sub-specialty of medicine. The focus of pain management is to reduce pain and suffering, improve quality of life, enhance functionality and mobility--using various medical modalities.  Among these modalities are: medications interventional radiology epidural injections physical therapy medical devices surgery non-medical devices physical therapy weight loss exercise diet psychological interventions spiritual interventions etc. Pain management seeks to control pain levels in a given person's situation. While there is is

Sometimes people use things for pain control that are out of the ordinary. They swear it works, even though there is no explanation medically, chemically, or otherwise as to why or how it works.  This is called the placebo effect. What's really happening here is that the user believes in the end and the means.  This can be as effective as anything else in pain management.  The power of belief is very strong, and it can be used to your advantage! I found the following article on the ABC news. It was written a few years ago about this very concept. In my opinion--as long as it's not harmful, it is worth a try! Crazy or Brilliant? Extreme Home Remedies for Pain Jan. 29, 2008 By LAUREN COX ABC News Medical Unit  Right now — in bathrooms, bedrooms or at the kitchen sink — people across the world are trying rather unusual home remedies to cure their pain. In Mexico, some people rub potato halves on their foreheads

      What is complex regional pain syndrome? Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition most often affecting one of the limbs (arms, legs, hands, or feet), usually after an injury or trauma to that limb.  CRPS is believed to be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the peripheral and central nervous systems.  The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system involves nerve signaling from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.  CRPS is characterized by prolonged or excessive pain and mild or dramatic changes in skin color, temperature, and/or swelling in the affected area. There are two similar forms, called CRPS-I and CRPS-II, with the same symptoms and treatments. CRPS-II (previously called

          By Karen Lee Richards   It's often difficult to distinguish between fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome . Are they unrelated, siblings or twins? Researchers and specialists are still trying to determine the answer to this question. Some experts believe they are two completely separate illnesses; others think they are two distinct disorders with many similar symptoms; still others feel they are different facets of the same disorder. To complicate matters, a significant number of people with FM also have CFS and vise versa. In a September 2002 article in Fibromyalgia AWARE , a publication of the National Fibromyalgia Association , Charles W. Lapp, MD, CFS/FM expert and researcher, states that "about 70 percent of persons with CFS meet criteria for FM and about 70 percent of persons with FM also meet criteria for CFS." Central Sensitivity Syndromes : Muhammad B. Yunus, MD, a pioneer FM researcher, beli