Everyday pain management ideas

Even though I am a pharmacist, I do not write or share much information about medication in this blog, because I do not feel it is appropriate to promote the use of medication as if it's some kind of nirvana.  But occasionally I find things I think worth sharing, and this is one that I got from one of the pain management websites that I frequent.  So, for your reading pleasure-  I present "A Patient Guide to Topical Analgesics." Sources: http://www.acpa.org               http://www.ampainsoc.org

Yesterday I wrote a good sized blog post about iTunes "apps" that can help people with chronic pain, available for iPhone and iPad.  Today I am looking at the Android smartphones, and what chronic pain users who use this technology can find for this platform.  The first step in doing this is to visit " Google Play" , where one can find all kinds of apps for the Google based phones/tablets/etc.  This is a screenshot of what I found there.  I will review a few of these apps in the paragraphs that follow the image. Free Chronic Pain Apps for Android. Available at GooglePlay 1)  WebMD Pain Coach : WebMD Pain Coach™ offers a holistic approach to balancing lifestyle with chronic pain conditions to help inspire a better day. WebMD’s new app is a mobile companion to help you through daily health and wellness choices so you can better manage your chronic pain. Enjoy a personalized experience as physician-reviewed tips related to your specific condition are del

If you own an iPhone or and iPad, and you also suffer from chronic pain...this post is for you! The smart phone revolutionized the way people use their cell phones.  It is more like having a pocket computer that's also a telephone than the other way around. In addition, the iPad so wonderfully marries the technology of a computer to the portability of a tablet.  Splendid, indeed! Now to the part about chronic pain.  As owners, of these devices you must by now be aware of all the "apps" that you have available to you.  Some of them cost a little money..and by paying the fee, you have something to gain in the way of advertisement-free information. Some of us prefer that.  Others do not mind paying a little extra to get rid of those annoying ads.  In any event, today I am going to share with five or six of the most popular Apple "apps" for smart phones and tablets.  I am going to share the free ones because I know that most people like being able to get free

 Good news for you...from ScienceCodex.com/Imperial College of London A new drug treatment has been found to be effective against chronic pain caused by nerve damage, also known as neuropathic pain, in patients who have had shingles. The researchers hope that the drug might also be effective against other causes of chronic neuropathic pain, such as diabetes, HIV, nerve injury and cancer chemotherapy, as it targets a mechanism that is not targeted by any existing therapies and has fewer side effects. Drugs available now have limited success at treating neuropathic pain and often have unpleasant or disabling side effects. read more here... Source: ScienceCodex.com  

Glucosamine is a nutritional supplement that has gained attention in recent years as a treatment for osteoarthritis.  This substance occurs naturally in the human body and is an ingredient used by the body for the production of cartilage.  There are numerous products in the marketplace that contain glucosamine; it may be available as tablet, liquid or powder.  Some products that contain glucosamine also contain chondroitin, which is another naturally occurring chemical that plays a role in formation of cartilage. As to whether or not taking glucosamine or glucosamine with chondroitin is actually of benefit-the answer is unclear.  This type of nutritional supplement does seem to help some people, but for others, the opposite is true.  In my opinion, it does not hurt to try one of these products if you have osteoarthritis, but if there is no perceived benefit after a few weeks' time, it probably is not worth continuing. A note of caution: do not use this product

In this video, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains that people with RA have increased risk of heart disease.  This is thought to be due to the inflammatory disease process that accompanies rheumatoid arthritis. The earlier a person is diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the earlier treatment can begin. Most of the treatments of modern day are focused at attacking the disease at its core, attempting to induce remission from  the destructive, inflammatory effects of this disease.  It is hoped that controlling the disease in this way will help patients have more pain free, productive time in their lives and that the damage to joints and potential heart disease can be diminished. If you think you might have rheumatoid arthritis, do not hesitate to seek medical help. You can also help yourself in a couple of ways: 1) Exercise as per your doctor's recommendations and 2) consider the anti inflammatory diet ! (Follow this link to my first post on this topic, but ther

Almost all of us fight some kind of battle with arthritis if we live long enough or exercise hard enough. Most likely, your battle with this condition is a battle with Osteoarthritis. Some of us are less fortunate in that the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis is made. If you've ever thought that arthritis is arthritis, well it's not.  I created this simple little table for you to see why and how these two conditions are the same, and different!