Everyday pain management ideas

When someone is in a trying situation...and a chronic pain condition is one of those...it's not always easy to know what to say, or how to say things without sounding insensitive.  I recently came across an article about this very subject.  Here is a link to the article; if you prefer a "short list" of some taboo phrases, read on! "But you don't look disabled..." "...I thought you'd be better by now." "Essential oils would probably fix that!" "Your poor husband and kids!" "How much disability do you get?" "Oh come on, it's not that bad." "So do you take any good drugs?" "Are you contagious?" "You don't have to work?  Must be nice." Source: Buzzfeed.; wikimedia

Most of us have heard of acupuncture, but have you ever heard of auricular therapy ?  It's a specialized form of acupuncture that focuses on treating pain by inserting needles in the ear. Developed by a French physician in the 1950s, it is rooted in ancient Chinese medicine. In this form of therapy, each area of the body has a corresponding point on the ear. As such, needles placement to treat a patient's pain will depend on the specific area of bodily discomfort. This type of alternative medical treatment can be provided by a number of practitioners, including biofeedback specialists, acupuncturists, chiropractic doctors, reflexologists, and others. Almost any area of the body can be treated by this type of acupuncture; however, literature suggests that headaches, chronic pain, detoxification from addiction, relief of nausea, and reduction of hypertension are common conditions of persons seeking this approach as a remedy. It is thought that auricular therapy works i

Some people think trivia is fun...and I suppose that it can be fun.  Since Lyme disease is so prevalent and can cause a person a lifetime of pain and other issues, I thought it was important to point out some important (trivia) points! Lyme Disease is  caused by  a bacteria  known as Borrelia burgdorferi . It can only be transmitted to humans via an infected tick. A tick must be attached its host for at least hours to cause an infection. Seventy to eighty percent of those infected with Lyme disease will develop the classic “bulls eye” rash several days to several weeks after becoming infected. Most cases of Lyme Disease occur in late spring to early summer.  The largest number of infections occur in the Northeast and Upper Midwest areas of the USA. Most cases of Lyme Disease  are successfully treated by a course of antibiotics lasting a few weeks. Not all ticks carry Lyme Disease! Only 25-50% of ticks are carriers of  disease. The best way to remove a

One thing is for sure about Lyme disease: it's bizarre.  You might know someone who's been infected, maybe even someone with chronic Lyme as I am about to describe.  To begin with, many people who have Lyme disease are not aware of it in the early stages...perhaps because they do not recall or did not recognize a tick on their body.  Perhaps they did not have any symptoms in the early stages of illness.  Later on in its course, the disease symptoms come and go.  So it may seem like these periods of illness are not related.  But maybe they are--and it all begins with that one tiny tick that was never even obvious. One person who speaks freely of this problem is author Amy Tan.  She has posted on her author web site a long story about how she believes she may have been infected, and they many problems she has experienced over the course of her illness.  At one point her problems was thought to be Multiple Sclerosis..so she was tested for that. She had suffered some very s

I have been thinking about this post for a few days now...it all started when I ran into an old friend one day last week.  This individual told me that--after being diagnosed with Lyme disease some time ago--has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I knew that some of the symptoms of Lyme Disease are very much like the symptoms of RA...so, can Lyme Disease cause RA? Damage to hand and finger joints caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis (source: Wikimedia) After doing some research, I found out some very interesting things about the answer to my question. According to what I believe are very reliable sources-such as the CDC, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic here is what I can report: The cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis is unknown, but it is suspected that genetic factors may predispose a person to the condition. The actual disease process may actually be triggered by a virus, bacteria, or other environmental factor. The arthritic features of Lyme Disease and Rheumatoid Art

Those of us who live in areas where Lyme Disease is prevalent have learned about the early symptoms and why early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing a whole host of problems.  If you are not up to speed on this topic, here is a brief overview: Deer tick (Source: Wikimedia) Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is caused by an organism known as Borrelia burgdorferi. A person or animal can become infected with this organism when an infected deer tick, commonly found in the US and approximately sixty other countries across the globe, attaches itself to a "host". The early symptoms of infections in the human population are varied. They include a flu like illness (fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, and/or nausea), a characteristic "bulls-eye" rash around the site of the tick bite, Bells Palsy, or perhaps no symptoms at all.  It is reported that 30% to 80% of all patients diagnosed with Lyme disease report some/all of these symptoms.

Each year, the American Pain Society sponsors a scientific meeting. It is the place where researchers in pain management and health care practitioners converge to share "the latest" in their respective areas of expertise.  This year's meeting included a session on fibromyalgia which was presented by Daniel Clauw, MD who is a professor of anesthesiology at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor During his presentation, Dr. Clauw made some very interesting points about this poorly understood disorder.  It is the second most common rheumatic disorder after osteoarthritis--and tends to stay with a patient for a lifetime. Patients with fibromyalgia experience higher levels of pain than other individuals, even at the slightest touch. It is believed that a mechanism in the brain and spinal cord that seems to be responsible for this exaggerated pain sensation. Dr. Clauw suggested to his fellow physicians that fibromyalgia should be suspected in patients with lifelong histories o

I write this blog especially for people who have chronic pain..but today's post is sage advice for all of us, whether chronic or occasional pain is an issue.  We all experience some discomfort at different points in our lives, and making good choices on how to address this problem can make all the difference in the world. First of all...an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  To that end, it is important to take the best care of yourself every day.  Healthy habits such as exercise, a nutritious diet and avoidance of tobacco products are a good starting point.  The better your overall health, the better you will feel every day. Choose medications wisely.  Try to minimize use of the most potent pain medications (if prescribed) or avoid altogether to eliminate the possibility of addiction.  Be careful never to exceed the amount prescribed. In the case of over the counter medications, keeping your overall health situation in mind when choosing a product.  For in

I have had a thyroid problem for years. I was diagnosed as hypothyroid (low levels of thyroid hormone) about thirty years ago.  Once I started taking medication and following up regularly, things were great for a long time. Then, after menopause, I started having problems again.  At that point, my levels were abnormal because of all the changes a woman's body undergoes at this point in life.  In case you are uninformed about the problems caused by thyroid imbalance, here is a short list...it's incomplete but it will give you the idea: Symptoms of Hypothyroidism                                          Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism  ( underactive gland)                                                            ( overactive gland) depressed mood                                                               anxious or agitated sluggish                                                                           jittery slow heart beat                           

A little background about this post: You are what you eat...or so it is said.  And as I am growing older, I see the wisdom in those words. It all started with a bowl of popcorn. I love popcorn, I could eat it by the carload.  I never was particular about brand, and the kind you buy in the microwave bags was good enough for me.  Then when I began my weight loss journey some years ago, I discovered that popcorn was not a bad thing to eat on the plan I followed, if it wasn't drowning in butter or other topping.  I purchased a re-useable microwave popper and a jar of Orville Redenbacher's best.  It certainly did the trick when it came to trimming fat and calories.  In the meantime I noticed that I would have abdominal discomfort whenever I consumed this food as a snack.  I guess that I always had that problem with it but it became more noticeable over time. I started thinking about why I had this problem.  One thought was that I did not drink enough water to help my food pass

After writing the post about the Serenity Prayer, I thought it would be appropriate to share a few thoughts about acceptance.  You might not think this is really an appropriate topic for a pain management blog, but if you'll bear with me for a few paragraphs, you'll see the connection. Image source: Wikipedia What is acceptance? Wikipedia seems to give me the most appropriate description for purposes of  this discussion.  The first paragraph under this topic goes like this: Acceptance  in  human   psychology  is a person's assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest. The concept is close in meaning to 'acquiescence', derived from the Latin 'acquiēscere' (to find rest in). [1] When a person is accepting of a situation or condition--it changes everything!  In chronic pain syndromes this simply means that you know that a cert

Many of you might be familiar with "The Serenity Prayer." It's used at places like Alcoholics Anonymous....but I believe it has its place in the chronic pain world...for those who believe in God, that is.  There's a lot of wisdom here, about acceptance and guidance from above in when we're making decisions about life situations and how to address them. So, without further ado,it goes like this: Image source: Flickr

If you have ever had painful condition, most likely you have taken one of the opioid drugs...and some may take these drugs for chronic pain.  You might know that one of the big side effects of the opioids is constipation. Image source:Flickr Recently some drugs have been developed and FDA approved for this condition. OIC (opioid induced constipation), as it's called is now a medical condition that stems from chronic opioid use. According to the drug manufacturers,  the solution to the problem is...to take a second medication for a problem that's caused by the original medication! I'm sure the people reading this blog have many different opinions about this.  Personally, I think that the only time chronic opioid therapy is appropriate is for people with terminal illnesses.  And for them, I guess these OIC drugs are a blessing.  When your lifetime is going to be shortened by a painful terminal illness, it's not unreasonable to do whatever is needed to minim

If you have an unbearable headache, especially one that is due to high blood pressure...try this simple remedy for rapid, drug free relief. First, find some gauze or light cotton fabric to use for a compress.  Fold the fabric so it has eight layers, and set it aside for a few minutes. Next, measure out 250 ml (8 1/2 ounces) of hot water (140-160) degrees Fahrenheit.  Add two teaspoonfuls of salt to the water and stir until dissolved. What you will now have is an 8% saline solution.   Wash your forehead, ears and neck with a little bit of water. Soak the fabric or gauze in the saline solution and wring out the excess liquid. Lay down and apply the compresses to your forehead, neck and ears.  Once the compresses are applied, lay still for 20 minutes (even though you may start to feel relief very quickly!)   After the twenty minutes have passed, remove the compresses. Rinse the areas where the compresses were applied with plain water. You should be feeling better

I wanted to share this video of Dr. Kent Smalley.  He's a pain management physician who is also a chronic pain sufferer. I've shared things about him before...this time he's answering a question as to whether or not pain medications can cause weight gain.  The answer is more complex than a simple yes or no but he explains it here in about a minute..so have a look! Source:YouTube;Pixabay

Neuropathic pain is one type of chronic pain problem.  The pain is the result of damage to the actual nervous system. Most who experience this type of pain describe it as "pins and needles", burning, stinging, "on fire" or similar.  It must be really annoying to suffer from this, be it a result of diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, or any other neuropathic disorder.  I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like. Shingles (Herpes Zoster) rash on chest However, I have some good news about this topic. I am here to tell you some exciting news about some research  developments in this field.  Recently UC Davis researchers announced that they have discovered a key mechanism in neuropathic pain syndromes. They are saying that a biological process known as endoplasmic reticular stress , or ER stress for short, is a key driver of neuropathic pain. Why is it good news? Because now that this mechanism has been identified, a search for agents/metho

Source: Washington Post You've probably seen some news articles about this topic lately...I thought it was relevant to share in this forum.  The use of opioid pain medications for chronic pain is/was a standard practice for decades.  At this point, there are still many folks out there with chronic pain syndromes who are still being prescribed these medications.  They are, in fact. at increased risk of addiction due to that fact alone.  Now that medical practitioners are starting to think differently about this prescribing practice, some patients are left addicted to these medications but no longer have access to them.  Some of these are actual patients, others may be someone who abused/borrowed Oxycontin and other narcotic analgesics by obtaining them via less than legitimate means.  It's a lot easier to obtain heroin in the present day, so it has become an attractive alternative.   Statistics show that deaths due to heroin overdose have quadrupled since about 2

Because of my blog, I follow a lot of social media.  As you might expect, I have a Twitter account so that I can share my posts and find new material for future blog posts.  One day, I discovered Dr. Harvey Jenkins through my Twitter account.  He is highly educated, knowledgeable pain management physician from the state of Oklahoma. Dr. Jenkins wrote a a very concise, easy to read book that he asked me to read and review on Amazon. After reading the book and doing as he asked, I thought it would be good to share my thoughts with my readers.  The book is entitled "The Patient's Guide to Pain Management." To be perfectly honest, I think this book is a must read for anyone who is looking for medical help with chronic pain issues.  In reading this material, you will understand many things from the doctor's perspective that you might not understand now.  For instance, many pain practitioners have their patients sign treatment contracts when treatment begins.  The con

Today's post is about another of the many pain devices out there.  This time we're looking at sam® , a product that is marketed by ZetrOZ, Inc.  It's an ultrasound device that was approved by the FDA in 2014 for select medical indications.  It is said to have advantage over other devices out there because because it can be worn for up to four hours at a time.  Of course, like the other devices in this category it's drug free...and that is a good thing indeed! Here's where the story gets interesting. A clinical study on this device has received by ZetrOZ...because it has potential use in space!  Apparently, the human spine is elongated by some 2 inches during space travel due to low gravity situation.  The sam® device is being studied for use by astronauts in this situation.  Meanwhile, here on earth, sam® is available by prescription.  Here is a link to a brochure about the device. sam® is said to increase local circulation, improve the ant-inflammatory re

In the ever constant struggle for gender equality comes this news from the world of pain management...and in this case, it would be much easier for science and medicine to resolve if it did not exist. Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent conditions in the medical realm. Nearly one in four Americans has experienced it. Pain management is a very tricky business...medical practitioners are struggling with when to use potentially addicting medications, antidepressants, complementary and alternative medical practices..the list goes on.  This has now become more complicated...because a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience reports that pain sensitivity differs with respect to gender. In other words, this study (conducted in mice) concluded that pain is transmitted via the nervous system differently in men than it is in women. This opens up a whole new avenue into the world of pain management.  In the future we may see different treatment options depending on the gender