Everyday pain management ideas

A new spin on old technology was recently introduced to the pain management world.  The old technology is something that some chronic pain sufferers are familiar with--i.e. the TENS unit. The new spin introduces a new twist to using a TENS unit, by way of biometrics. This new product, known commercially as Cur (pronounced "cure") , delivers a wireless signal to the accompanying TENS unit by way of biometrics. The biometric component has sensors that detect muscle vibrations that signal the TENS unit when it needs to work.  The Cur device is very small...it fits on a band that can be worn on the upper arm. One important thing you should know..as of this writing,the Cur device is still awaiting FDA approval . No devices will be shipped to consumers until the approval process is complete, according to the manufacturer's web site.  Since this is the case, we will have to wait and see if it's a great product--or a flop. You can find out more about the product

What is Integrative Medicine, you might ask? This model of medical practice has been around for about twenty or thirty years .  The idea of this medical practice model is to treat a person (patient) as a whole person (mind, body, and spirit) rather than focusing on distinct medical diagnoses.  This brings to mind TV ads for Cancer Treatment Centers of America.   You may have seen these--usually a patient in the ad speaks about their cancer treatment and how these facilities took a team approach to the illness.  The "team" can involve people from many types of disciplines. For example, these disciplines can include medicine, nutrition, spiritual, physical therapy, and mind-body practices such as yoga. Integrative medicine is becoming increasingly popular and many treatment centers have opened since this concept emerged. And this is good news for my readers-because at this point in time, there is a growing role for this treatment approach in the area of chronic pain.

I came across this video while searching for material for my blog.  It's not as informative as most things I like to share, but it certainly offers some optimism for women who are dealing with this issue. Colleen Fitzgerald, MD is the speaker and she gives an overview of some of the musculoskeletal issues that women face at different points in their lives (youth, midlife, and older years)  and gives us a glimpse at some strategies for dealing with the pain in a drug free way.  If you have this kind of problem or you know someone who might benefit from what she has to say, feel free to share! Source: PainWeek

In all the time this blog has been in existence, we have discussed a number of auto-immune diseases that can cause chronic pain.  Some examples are rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus(SLE), and celiac disease.  But I have never explained the cause of these types of diseases. Once you understand the root cause, you will understand why the people who have these problems are often the victims of chronic pain. An artist's depiction of an antibody. Source: Wikimedia When a person suffers from an auto-immune disease, it is because somewhere along the way their immune system began to see normal body tissue as a foreign body.  Normally, when a foreign body is detected in the human body, a whole chain of biochemical reactions takes place in an effort to destroy that foreign body. In the case of auto-immune disease normal human tissue is perceived as a foreign body, the immune system produces antibodies that seek to find and destroy the invader. If you find that confusing, thin

The idea for today's post comes from a story out of Australia--a story about a man who suffered terrible back pain.  Although the initial back problem was healed from a physical point of view, the idea of walking even small distances was disabling to him.  The young man took pain medications and wore a back brace, but that did not seem to be enough.  To put it simply, his body was healed...but his mind was not. When the man's physician recommended cognitive behavioral therapy it seemed a bit absurd at first. But after, consulting thirty different doctors, he found a pain clinic that worked with him, in essence "training his brain to feel less pain." Using a stopwatch, they worked to increase the amount of time he could sit upright, for example, by increasing the time in small increments day after day. There was also a psychologist involved who worked with the patient on relaxation and meditation techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychological tec

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease that occurs in persons who are genetically predisposed. It is estimated that 1 in 100 persons worldwide are afflicted. In America alone, there are about 2.5 million people who are not yet diagnosed and at risk for long-term health complications due to the disease. When a person has celiac disease, they have an immune response to gluten, which is a protein that is found in wheat, rye and barley.  Long term health problems can result, including multiple sclerosis, anemia, osteoporosis, infertility, miscarriage, and others. Currently the only known treatment of celiac disease is a gluten free diet. Persons with this condition must avoid all foods and  that contain wheat, rye, or barley. This includes many things most of us take for granted in our daily diet--bread and beer for example, and even medications that contain gluten in their formulation.  Even a few crumbs can cause health issues, so the diet must be followed religiously 100% of

We have made many mentions in this blog about ways to control pain through diet.  Back in January 2014, I wrote a post entitled " Eat those fruits and vegetables!"  I mentioned that some people should avoid vegetables in the deadly nightshade family. In a recent post by the Healthy Home Economist , I was able to find further explanation as to why these vegetables are  sometimes problematic.  The author explains that members of this group of vegetables contain nicotine. She says that nicotine is known to inhibit proper healing.  One can determine if this food group is problematic simply by eliminating these foods from the diet to see if it is helpful. Also mentioned is a compound known as solanine, which apparently slows the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter found in the human body.  A common problem attributed to this is stiffness, particularly after sitting for long periods, due to prolonged muscle contraction. It is also said that this group of fruit