Everyday pain management ideas

The human brain is a most interesting organ.  Have you ever stopped to think about all the functions carried out by the brain in a typical day?  The brain is sort of like the conductor of an orchestra...sending signals to all parts of the body to control blood pressure, heart rate, ambulation, thoughts, moods, and everything in between.  Pretty amazing stuff, if you stop to think about it. A most fascinating phenomenon known as phantom limb pain illustrates just how complex and amazing the human brain really is.  Phantom limb pain is something that occurs in patients who have experienced an amputation. The brain is telling them that they are having pain in an arm, a foot, a leg that has been surgically removed. But the reality is, that arm, foot, or leg is no longer there! According to medical literature, physicians have been aware of this phenomenon since the 1860s;  In more recent years, there have been many amputations due to injuries of war and dia...

Researchers are always looking for ways to connect the dots; to try to understand how two things that are seemingly unconnected might really be related.  Today's topic is no exception to that statement. A study based in the United Kingdom has done just this.  The authors report in Journal of Rheumatology about a large scale study of persons with sleep apnea and how it might be related to gout. Their findings indicate that persons who suffered sleep apnea were almost twice as likely to have gout as someone who does not suffer from the sleep issue. The highest risk of having both diagnoses was increased in persons with elevated body mass indexes (BMI). Two things about this study are worth pointing out: 1) Increased BMI is a   strong risk factor for both gout and sleep apnea . 2) Due to episodes of hypoxia, persons with sleep apnea are prone to elevated uric acid levels , thus increasing the risk of developing gout. You might recall that gout results from e...

For the 14% of Americans who suffer from migraine headache, remedies come in many forms. There are prescription devices and medication  of many sorts on the marketplace; over-the counter medications such as Tylenol or Excedrin Migraine are the product of choice for others. For yet another group, there's nothing more effective than lying in a dark quiet room and waiting for the storm to pass. One study claims that use of peppermint oil may be just what the doctor ordered.   A product known as Stopain Migraine (a menthol gel formulation) was studied at Thomas Jefferson University.  This may not be a treatment of choice for everyone. For example, if a person becomes sensitive to aromas during a migraine attack, this may not be a good option.  On the other hand, peppermint is a pretty benign substance.  Also, there is no rebound headache following use--which can be a problem with some other treatment options. Sources: StopainMigraine.com; Foxnews.com; Wi...

Persons with chronic pain disorders know that regular discomfort is a part of every day life.  And while we all know that there are some ways to manage that discomfort, it is ever present.  Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to just...turn if off? The exciting news I have for you today is...maybe someday in the future it will be possible to do just that! About a year ago, researchers at the University of Saint Louis discovered that pain pathways originating in the brain could be the key.  According to their findings, if a certain chemical receptor in the brain and spinal cord was turned on,  the pain pathways in animal models of chronic neuropathic pain were turned off.  Activation of the A3 receptor was accomplished using a naturally occurring substance known as adenosine. Synthetic molecules developed by NIH were also tested during the study. The beauty of using a system such as this is that there are no risks of analgesic tolerance or intrinsic ...

Whether you are a chronic pain patient, or anyone else for that matter, here is some food for thought. Every medication known to us has the potential to present us with at least three types of problems-- 1) Medications can interact with other medications in a person's system. 2) Medication can interact with foods that people eat. 3) All medications have side effects . Let me elaborate a bit: Medications can interact  with other medications  in a person's system. Many drugs have the potential to interact with other drugs; it's probably a lot more common than one might believe.  A common reason for this type of problem occurs when both drugs in question are metabolized in the liver, commonly through the cytochrome P-450 system.  In this scenario, both drugs are competing for the same enzyme, and usually one drug will predominate.  This results in a change of effectiveness and/or drug toxicity for one or all of the drugs involved.  The opioid d...

A relatively new approach to reducing opioid usage and improving ability to combat chronic pain is the MORE technique. This practice focuses on developing mindfulness skills, i.e. positive psychology. Participants in an 8 week course of treatment learn to reduce their dependence and craving for pain controlling medications by learning to "feel good" through the techniques they learn. It is thought that over the course of time, a person with chronic pain is less able to experience the joys in life because they have been worn down by living in discomfort so much of the time.  Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement helps these folks to work on their positive emotions by focusing on the positives, such as the beauty of nature.  In this way, a patient learns to resort to the learned techniques instead of medications when they feel bad and need to feel better. Early indications from the initial study at the University of Utah are promising.  It is believed that the...

Moxibustion is an ancient Chinese medical practice employed by some practitioners of acupuncture. These practitioners employ an herb known as "moxa" during an acupuncture session in order to warm and improve blood flow to the area being treated.  Some claim that this practice is effective in relieving chronic pain, especially arthritis. The practice of moxibustion has been around for thousands of years, but...is it true? An article in MedPage Today from 2014 cites a study about this very topic.  A randomized clinical trial was conducted, involving 110 osteoarthritis patients who were unfamiliar to this type of treatment.  It was reported that after six weeks of treatment,three times per week, pain scores were reduced by about half in those who received active treatment. In a similar manner. their physical function difficulty scores also improved greatly! It is interesting to note that after a certain period of time--around 24 weeks of treatment..no further...

The human nervous system uses several different neurotransmitters to send messages throughout the body. The names of some of these compounds are very familiar: serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, dopamine, and acetylcholine may come to mind.  One of the lesser known neurotransmitters is the compound glutamate. Fortunately or unfortunately, it appears that this lesser known compound may play a role in pain transmission for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, and perhaps other chronic pain conditions.  It is an excitatory neurotransmitter, meaning that it has a stimulant effect on the nervous system. Researchers report that higher than normal levels of glutamate can be correlated with self reports of increased pain.  For those with fibromyalgia, higher levels of glutamate in the brain (on a chronic basis) may contribute to the prolonged chronic pain experience associated with this condition. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that is used in the food ind...

" If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it."                                          William Arthur Ward This is what I'd like to reflect on in today's post.  I am not talking about the latest breakthrough in pain management research. I am simply asking you to think about some of the non-drug pain management ideas we've explored on this blog in the past--such as dietary changes, weight loss, smoking cessation, and exercise.  It's not easy to find the motivation to make these changes for many of us. These lifestyle changes begin as every journey does--by taking the first step.  But what is the first step?  Is it heading for the gym tomorrow, or starting a  new diet tomorrow?  It is not. What is the first step, then, you ask? And so I will tell you. The first step requires time to think abou...

Did you love coloring as a child?  As it turns out, psychologists say that coloring is a good alternative to meditation.  If you have been following alternative methods of pain management for a while, you know that meditation is a great non-drug way to deal with chronic pain.  Coloring achieves many of the same goals... unlocking creative potential, releasing tension and anxiety. I have seen adult coloring books for sale at Amazon.com and also in craft stores. Some of these books are even on Amazon's best seller list!   If you want to read more about coloring as therapy, click here ! Below is a sample of the kind of image you might find in one of  these books.  You can browse the selection of these books at Amazon by clicking here . Sources:Higherperspectives.com; Amazon.com; Wikimedia

Fibromyalgia is a complex problem; if it weren't we would surely have a lot more figured out by now. That being said, one thing is for sure--one key problem is that there is a dysfunction in the usual pain inhibition mechanism. Here is an example:  If I put on an article of clothing that is uncomfortable--such as a piece of underwear that's too tight...it might feel uncomfortable at first, but as the minutes to hours go by I become less aware of the discomfort....unless I happen to have fibromyalgia.  In that case, the discomfort is the same at the end of the day as it was when I put that undergarment on in the morning.  Can you imagine? If you have fibromyalgia...yes you can imagine. A couple of studies have shed some light on our understanding of this problem.  In one study, the authors compared the pain experience of fibromyalgia to people with irritable bowel and also normal individuals.  Somehow the fibromyalgia group was the least able to inhibit...

Now that there is a vaccine for chicken pox, fewer children will experience that dreaded childhood disease.  But a word of caution here...whether you had chickenpox or the vaccine, you can still contract a case of shingles!  The shingles are actually a re-activation of the same virus ( herpes zoster )...it never really leaves you once it's introduced to your body.  It simply goes into a dormant state after a case of chicken pox or a chicken pox vaccination. Shingles Rash Many years later this, same virus can re-awaken and cause a very itchy, blistery rash on one side of the body. Pain can develop in the area of the rash. Flu like symptoms can occur at this time.  Over the course of several weeks, most of the problems subside.  However, some people experience problems for months to years after such an infection. If you do become afflicted by a case of shingles, here are some common sense tips from the American Academy of Dermatology: Consult a physi...

You might or might not realize this...but many herbs and spices have medicinal properties. Some of them are useful for pain management purposes. Who knew you might have just what the doctor ordered right in your kitchen cabinet? These are good to know when you don't feel good and need something in a pinch, or if you have a "less is more" idea about medications and want to be more holistic about your health... Here are some examples: Ginger  While you might know ginger as a remedy for an upset stomach, it can also be used for joint pain!  If you suffer from arthritis or gout, try rubbing ginger powder (mixed into a little sesame seed oil) on  an achy joint. Onion   One of the most common pantry ingredients, onion can be used to treat bruises, contusions, etc.   To prepare, grind the onion into a paste and then warm it through. Apply directly to affected area       to relieve pain and inflammation. Aloe Vera    ...