Everyday pain management ideas

  University of Utah researcher Eric Garland developed a new mindfulness-focused treatment for people with chronic pain that can effectively reduce pain and misuse of opioid painkillers. (Photo Credit: Nick Steffens) With nearly one-third of Americans suffering from chronic pain, prescription opioid painkillers have become the leading form of treatment for this debilitating condition. Unfortunately, misuse of prescription opioids can lead to serious side effects—including death by overdose. A new treatment developed by University of Utah researcher Eric Garland has shown to not only lower pain but also decrease prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients. Results of a study by Garland published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , showed that the new treatment led to a 63 percent reduction in opioid misuse, compared to a 32 percent reduction among participants of a conventional support group. Additionally, participant

Have you ever seen "The Bucket List ?" If you haven't maybe you should. In the 2007 comedy, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson portray two cancer patients who become the most unlikely friends.  As hospital roommates, they discuss their lives, their hopes, and what they hope to achieve before they die. We can all stand to learn from this movie--that life is not a dress rehearsal and the we should do things that we want to do while we still can do them.  Even when having a chronic illness or chronic pain gets in the way of living life in the fast lane, many things can still be achieved.  Focus on the possibilities.  Find the joy! Source: Youtube.com

I have been writing this blog for several months now. Thanks to statistics, I know that some posts have been more popular than other posts, and some topics get more readers than others.  But what I don't know is this-- Are there any topics that I have not covered that you would like me to write about?  I would like to stay within the theme of my blog, but aside from that I would like to know what you have say. Are there any subject areas that I have covered that you would like me to expand upon? Any other thoughts, suggestions, or ideas?  I am all ears (eyes, really!). I am at your service!  Do not hesitate to comment to this post, as I would love to know how I can make this blog the best it can be!                                       

If you are a product of the Mister Rogers generation like I am, you might think back to some memorable moments from the show even as an adult...because he had some very wise words for us all.  Today I am taking you back to one of his old TV episodes, because it illustrates the point of this post so well. When dealing with chronic illness, chronic pain, or sometimes just life in general, there are some days when things just are not going well.  If you are having a day like that today, you may need to find our own way to cope with the problems at hand.  That being said, it's awfully good to know that you are loved just the way you are! Source: YouTube

Here are a few words of wisdom from Dr. Kent Smalley of MyChronicPain.com

Back on November 30th, I shared a recap post of all the pain management ideas I had presented up to that point.   Today, I am going to share 30 more ideas that I have presented since that time! 1)The Multi-modal Approach to Pain Management 2)Fairy Tales of RA 3)Compression Gloves 4)Lumbar Support 5)Ergonomics 6) Inversion Therapy 7)Pet Therapy 8)Walking Program 9)Managing Stress 10)Biofeedback 11)Smoking Cessation 12)Good relationships 13)Diet for a Pain-Free Life 14)Simple tricks for avoiding every day pain 15)The Placebo Effect 16)The Pain-Sleep Connection 17)Paraffin Dips 18)Acupuncture 19)Moderating Alcohol Intake 20) Anti-Inflammatory Diet 21)The Benefits of Green Tea 22)Occupational Therapy 23)Making Good Decisions 24)Behavior Modification 25)Therapeutic Ultrasound 26)Cold Laser Therapy 27)The Holistic Approach 28)Reflexology 29) Finding a good sleep position 30)The 80/20 Principle

Someone else's post, but my thoughts EXACTLY! Pain relief outside the pill bottle Posted June 18, 2012, 1:47 pm Kay Cahill Allison , Former Editor, Harvard Health When you feel pain, do you automatically reach for a pill? Maybe it’s time to rethink that reaction. The idea that pain relief resides only in a bottle of pills is a common misconception, Harvard Medical School experts say. While medication often plays an important role in quelling pain, there’s a large arsenal of drug-free pain-relief therapies and techniques. The Institute of Medicine estimates that 116 million adults experience chronic pain each year. It has called for “a cultural transformation in how the nation understands and approaches pain management and prevention.” Improved pain management should include a combination of therapies and coping techniques, the institute said. And a recent New York Times investigation revealed that the use of strong pain k