Everyday pain management ideas

For people with fibromyalgia, sleep issues can be a big problem. Even though these individuals may have the ability to sleep at night, it is the lack of restorative sleep that seems to be a big factor. The body needs restorative sleep to repair and refresh itself; but for those who are plagued by insufficiency a whole night's sleep does little good. This is not insomnia, but a lack of sufficient sleep quality. Unfortunately, this seems to be both a cause and a consequence of the condition. Research suggests that this sleep problem stems from a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. A 2009 study suggests that one factor at play is heart rate variability-a measure of ANS function--is abnormal in people with fibromyalgia.  The sympathetic (fight or flight) branch of the ANS seems to be stuck in an "on" position,  causing them to be on guard even when asleep.  As a result, sleep quality is impaired and a lack of restorative sleep is the result. This can beco

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

No human being on earth is exempt from experiencing pain...it is as much a part of the human condition as eating or breathing.  But pain is a weird thing...for example the neuropathy experienced by a diabetic is not at all like post-operative pain, or childbirth.  Modern medicine seeks to quantify pain using one of several different pain scales in an attempt to determine severity and appropriate treatment. But is this the right approach? Some examples will help to illustrate my point here... The most basic method used to measure pain is to ask the patient to rate their pain on a scale of 1-10.  Zero or one indicates little to no pain; a score of ten is really off the charts!  Many medical practices use this method for their patients. The FACES scale is similar to the above, except that there are faces over the numbers to help those who might have a little trouble assigning a number to the intensity of their pain.  This is especially helpful when working with children or mental

In this short video, Sandy Sentivany-Collins, RN, and Carly, a Golden Retriever working with our pediatric pain management service, are highlighted for their work at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Carly is an official member of the Packard staff and understands a number of languages. Sandy and Carly's work provides extraordinary support to the kids and families at this hospital. Pet therapy is good for all age groups. In November 2009 Science Daily reported on a study of using pet therapy for adults undergoing joint replacement therapy.  According to the study, those who used pet therapy in their treatment required 50 percent less medication that those who did not.  You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here . If you don't have your own dog or cat, perhaps you know someone who would share with you. Animals love unconditionally and their is much to be gained from their companionship besides pain management. This is one of the mos

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