Everyday pain management ideas

**This is a repost from November 2014** Halloween is over, and if you're like most people, it's difficult to resist indulging the the sweets brought home by household trick-or treaters, or left over candy..  Most of us are fully aware that chronic intake of foods with high glycemic loads can lead to health problems, such as weight gain and type II diabetes...but did you know that elevated blood glucose levels can worsen chronic pain? Here's a short explanation of the problem:  When you ingest candy, or any other food that has a high glycemic index, there is an immediate spike in blood glucose levels.  As mentioned, these blood sugar spikes are bad news for those with diabetes; when blood sugar levels are frequently allowed to spike, complications of the disease, such as diabetic neuropathy, become more problematic.  For those with chronic pain--diabetic or not--elevated blood sugar levels cause a chain of reactions that damage body tissues and promote inflammation.  T

Since the 1970s copper bracelets (and more recently, copper socks) have been available to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Purportedly, the copper in the jewelry is absorbed by the body and has a therapeutic effect on the wearer.  While I was looking for information for this post, I discovered the following facts about this practice: According to WebMD and the Arthritis Foundation, the practice of wearing copper jewelry(or socks) has NO therapeutic benefit.  A 1976 study I found in the NIH archives showed that subjects who wore copper containing products absorbed some copper through their skin over the course of wear.  Symptom improvement was reported, but it could well be placebo effect. Copper is an essential mineral. A small amount of copper in the diet is necessary for nutritional reasons. It does have anti-inflammatory properties but there's no evidence to support that taking copper supplements is beneficial to RA patients. Sources: Arthritis.org; WebMD; NIH;

I first heard of magnetic jewelry some years ago. A friend told me that she bought a necklace with a magnetic pendant; purportedly the magnet improves the circulation in the area where the magnet sits on the body, ultimately providing pain relief to the wearer.  In addition to necklaces, there are rings,bracelets and magnetic strips that can be worn on ankles, wrists and back. According to Wikipedia, several studies of this type of self treatment for chronic pain is perfectly safe, but the efficacy of these products has yet to be proven.  So if you want to try it, there is no harm in doing so, but it may not provide the pain relief you might anticipate.  There's always the chance that you will experience the "placebo effect" and actually feel that it provides some level of comfort.  If that's the case, go for it! Sources: Wikimedia; Wikipedia

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