Everyday pain management ideas

We've all heard the expression "Laughter is the best medicine."  But did you know that there is really scientific evidence to explain it?  It really is fascinating.  Here are some of the facts about laughter that explain why it really does help with chronic pain and other illnesses. Immune system booster:   by increasing immune cells and antibodies Reduces stress hormone levels     via release of endorphins Helps prevent heart disease   due to improved circulation Promotes muscle relaxation   direct effect--causes reduction of tension Improves mood   through endorphin release Enhances resilience   allows person to regroup during times of emotional distress Diffuses conflict   a good laugh can break up an argument in progress by diverting attention from anger to humor Attracts other people to us   Shared laughter makes relationship between persons more appealing Promotes group bonding   Laughing toget

This post is for all you women out there... it turns out that there are some fairly common causes of back pain that are particular to the female gender.  This post might not help you to solve evert back pain issue, but it will give you some food for thought as to why you might be having back pain in the first place... Many people have a weak core...you know, area of your body from your shoulder to your groin.  In case you did not realize, a strong core is key and there are many types of exercises you can do to keep these muscles in tip top shape.  Sit ups are one example of a core exercise.. the plank or hover is another.  Here is a post I wrote earlier this year about that very subject. Menstruation is another back pain problem unique to the women of the world.  Often times, women experience menstrual cramps in the back as opposed to the abdomen.  In addition, our bodies secrete a hormone called relaxin just before menstruation.  This hormone makes all the joints in the bo

Have you ever heard of PAIN Week?  It's a group that hosts a series of small conferences around the country and one big meeting every year...and as the name implies, the focus of all the seminars has to do with pain management. At the 2015 conference, an interesting small scale study was presented by Forest Tennant, MD of Intractable Pain Management group.  According to the study, approximately one in three persons who suffers from chronic pain (excluding arthritis or neuropathic pain) may actually have ADHD in addition.  During the study, the pain condition improved for these subjects once they were diagnosed and treated for the attention disorder problem. ADHD is a problem that has gained a lot of attention over the years. Those who deal with the disorder face challenges with inability to concentrate, short attention span, impulsivity, temper, and memory.  When a chronic pain issue is added to the picture, an overactive nervous system adds fuel to the fire. This seems to

Today's post sheds a very interesting light on our understanding of fibromyalgia--if you're a woman, of course.  This very new study, released in late summer of 2015, examined the medical histories of 219 women with fibromyalgia and 16 other women who suffer from non-fibromyalgia with chronic pain.  The researchers found that there is a likely link between the onset of fibromyalgia and the pre-existence one (or more) of three pre-existing condition types: gynecologic , endocrine , or autoimmune . The chart review of these patients showed a strong correlation to a history of gynecologic issues prior to the onset of fibromyalgia.  It is not uncommon that these conditions existed for a number of years--which points to the hormonal ( endocrine ) aspect of the problem.  Ultimately, many of these patients end up having surgery to correct the gynecologic problem at hand.  The study showed a connection between hysterectomies and oophorectemies (ovary removals) and onset of fib

When children have fibromyalgia, it hurts.  It really hurts.  And from what research on this topic suggests, the pain continues for years, sometimes lasting into adulthood. Traditional thinking would suggest that there must be some kind of medication to help these kids get their life back.  But in reality, that's not the case! Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (known affectionately as CHOP) have come to realize a different approach to this problem.  Their treatment protocol consists of a combination of physical and occupational therapy.  They also discontinue all pain and sleeping medications that the patient may have been prescribed prior to coming to CHOP. The researchers followed 64 children in this program.  All of the subjects suffered from fibromyalgia for about 2 years prior to beginning treatment at CHOP. At the start of the study, the average pain rating for the group was 7.1 on the 1 to 10 scale.  A few weeks into the program, the average pai

Much attention has been given to fibromyalgia in recent years. Much has been learned, but there is still much to learn!  For one thing, ninety percent  of fibromyalgia patients are women.  We know more about this group of patients simply because there are a lot more of them to study.  But men can be diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well--and even though there are many similar disease characteristics, there are also some striking differences. First of all, men are affected by fibromyalgia differently because of the hormonal differences between men and women.  In women, disease flare can be associated with the menstrual cycle. For males, this is not a  problem.  On the other hand, the primary male hormone testosterone benefits males because it is thought to play a beneficial role in general when it comes to pain. The hormone cortisol also appears to be involved; here again, it appears that women are more greatly affected than their male counterparts. The neurotransmitter serotonin

As I sit down to write this post, the US population stands at almost 322 million persons. There is one birth approximately every 8 seconds, and one death approximately every 13 seconds. One new international migrant enters this country every 32 seconds. That means the US population increases by 1 person every 12 seconds.   I started to wonder...how many persons in our country actually suffer from some form of chronic pain?  There is not a clear cut answer; the biggest reason for that what is actually considered to be chronic pain. I know there are a lot of people out there, and I've rattled of a lot of statistics from various sources when writing for this blog... but what are the real numbers??? Back in 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report entitled " Relieving Pain in America ." This landmark study suggested that there were over 100 million persons in this country who suffer from persistent or severe chronic pain.  This would mean that

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a severe and disabling autoimmune disease.  Most treatment strategies in current use attempt to get the disease under control as early as possible to slow progression and minimize disease flare-ups.  There is no real way to prevent this condition, and those afflicted usually have problems over many years... Then again, maybe some hope for these folks is on the horizon...a five year study of Mexican RA patients and their families has attempted to find a way to predict the disease.  Over the course of the study, the patients and the relatives who agreed to be test subjects were studied periodically for the development of specific auto-antibodies that predict future development of RA.  The goal is to find those who are at high risk for disease development and begin treatment as early as possible. In this way, it is hoped that the damaging effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis can be slowed/minimized from the get-go. Dr. Sanjay Gupta presented this informa

These days, it seems everyone knows a family who has a child with autism or an autism spectrum disorder.  The cause of the autism family of disorders is perplexing; researchers have been looking at the problem from many angles in an effort to determine what really causes the problem.  Many of us have heard that vaccines can be a cause...I think the jury is still out on that one.  That being said, other potential causes have been explored as well. A Canadian study that I recently read about followed 719 children whose mothers had Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and compared them to  8,493 mothers in a control group.  They found that the risk of autism spectrum disorder compared to the control group was 2:1. The SLE birth mothers also gave birth to more children with other neurodevelopmental disorders,  and had a tendency to give birth to more preterm babies than non-lupus counterparts.  The children of SLE mothers were  also diagnosed with autism disorders at an earlier a

Type II diabetes is commonly referred to as "non-insulin dependent diabetes." There are a host of oral and injectable medications that are usually the first line of treatment for someone with this condition.  Usually the very first medication that is used is metformin; after some period of time, the patient is re-evaluated and other medications may be added to the first medication if needed. One of the newer classes of medications for type II diabetes is the DPP-4 inhibitors. This class includes the following products: Image source: FDA.gov The FDA has come out with a warning in the last month or so regarding this class of drugs. It is relevant to this blog because they warning states that these drugs may cause severe joint pain in patients who are taking them. The onset of pain in those who reported it began anywhere from 1 day to 1 year after therapy was initiated. If you are a patient who is taking one of these products, it is recommended that you con

As I was having a conversation with someone who recently fell on some hard times, something very important occurred to me.  This person recently lost their job; during our conversation I learned that they were very upset. Basically they felt that they had done a lot for the employer and got a hosing in return. My husband and I had a conversation about this afterward. During the time of employment, this individual was subject to periodic layoffs due to lack of work. The employer offered an education program for the employees to attend whether they were laid of or not.  They employer paid for health care premiums for those laid off as long as they attended the educational program.  With respect to my friend, this pattern continued over a couple of years... Why did my friend not see the positives here?  It was difficult for me  comprehend that he could not see that his employer was actually pretty generous in many ways.  My friend did not seem grateful for the opportunity for  a

Today I'm going to tell you a short story about two different patients.  They both suffer from severe joint pain/osteoarthritis of the knees.  They are both around the same age.  But that is where the similarities end--- Maria is in her mid 60s and has had arthritis in her knees for several years.  When she was first diagnosed, she was overweight and worked at a desk job five days a week. She did not get much exercise because she was tired and achy when she came home from work. She retired in the last few years and now has more free time. That being the case, she decided to join a weight loss program and has lost 25 pounds in the last year.  She has also taken up exercise, which for her means a daily walk around the neighborhood or a nearby public park.  She was able to take a class in meditation and has used the skills she learned when she experiences increased pain levels.  Maria also a volunteers at the local library weekly.  She enjoys spending time with her young grandc

Dr. Peter Przekop is  the director of Addiction Medicine at the famous Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.  He knows a thing or two about folks who have become dependent on opioids. Many individuals became hooked on these drugs due to a chronic pain issue.  Here is an article he wrote for The Desert Sun, a Palm Springs newspaper.  I'm sharing it today because I know there are a lot of people out there who find themselves in this predicament...perhaps it will inspire you to know that there is a way to get yourself free of these drugs AND reduce chronic pain! Here is a link to the article. If this helps even one person to get their life back, this post was worth sharing!!! Sources: Betty Ford Clinic; Desert Sun; Pixabay

Life hacks are all over social media. You can find so many tips on laundry, housecleaning, cooking, and just about everything else. So, today I am putting out a list of life hacks that will help keeping your spine healthy and strong! Attention ladies: Forget the high heeled shoes. While they may make a fashion statement and make your legs look more appealing, wearing shoes with higher heels too frequently destabilizes the spine and actually cause back pain.  Opt for shoes with heels of comfort and cushion, with heels of one inch or less for best back protection. Travel light!  When you leave home in the morning, take only the things you really need f or the day. Look through briefcases, backpacks, and handbags and eliminate things you don't really need to keep your load light. Over the long term,your spine will thank you for it. Give up the cigarettes. Did you know that smoking restricts blood flow to the discs that cushion and support your back?  That might explain

The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,   And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost (1874-1963) I don't know how many of you are familiar with Robert Frost's poetry...but this particular poem has a lot to say about many different things in life.

Have you ever heard of the American Chronic Pain Association? They have a great website with lots of resources for those of you who are dealing with chronic pain on any level.  Whether you are a caregiver, a patient, or a family member, there is something here for you!  Click the link if you'd like to have a look. I particularly like a video on this site that gets to the very heart of what I am trying to convey about pain management in my blog.  The video is entitled "A Car With Four Flat Tires" and you can watch it by clicking this link.   If you choose not to view the video, here is a short synopsis: Living with chronic pain is like having a car with four flat tires...and that makes it really difficult to go forward.  Taking medication for chronic pain (any medication) is akin to putting air in one of the tires.  But what about the other three tires?  You can "inflate" those tires by adding complementary forms of treatment to fill the other three ti

  Source: FLICKR.com

Remember those days in childhood when you challenged a friend to a physical stunt...such as a split...and having conversations about being able to perform such challenges due to being "double jointed"? As it turns out, being "double jointed" is a two-edged sword.  The medical term for this phenomenon is hypermobility.   It appears that many people who have been genetically gifted to perform well in sports and dancing are often more prone to have hypermobility.  Well it's a good thing to be a star athlete or an accomplished ballerina, there may be consequences for those who have this trait. Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) seems to be a predecessor to a host of chronic pain conditions that develop as age progresses.  Poorly understood, it frequently occurs in a number of persons diagnosed with diseases of connective tissue, such as Marfan syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.  Hypermobility syndrome affects approximately 57

The treatment of fibromyalgia is a bit tricky.  For one thing, there are not many pharmaceutical treatments out there.  It's been said by at least one expert that this condition is best managed without medications.  There are many avenues of approach.  Using a combination of techniques, a patient can regain function and quality of life. We've discussed many of the treatment options in this blog in the past. Some of them involve exercise or diet; some others strategies or lifestyle modifications that make living with fibromyalgia a less daunting task. Now comes a small study of a new approach to fibromyalgia treatment: music therapy.  This treatment is one that is best used in addition to other  treatment strategies.  A recent small scale study revealed a statistically significant reduction in pain when the subjects listened to relaxation CDs that contained the sounds of waves and water.  The reduction in pain was seen as early as 14 days into the study! It's go

Problems with headaches are quite common.  For the most minor headaches, a good nap or a dose of an over the counter pain medication will put things right.  In other cases, the problem may be something more serious.  If you suffer from chronic headaches, you may have been told to keep a diary so you can figure out your own personal triggers.  This is a great way to be pro-active about the problem. In some cases, the pain you feel in your head is not really a headache at all...it's a "referred pain." This means that the actual origin of the pain is NOT in your head but is expressed in your head.  For instance, a problem in the upper (cervical) portion of the spine due to injury or extensive desk work can result in a headache.  With that in mind, here are some other headache triggers that you might like to know about.  Hopefully you won't have a headache anytime soon, but if you do it might help you to figure out what's causing pain in your head.