Everyday pain management ideas

Nothing feels good when your feet hurt.  I haven't talked much about foot pain in this blog, so I thought this week I would discuss some common causes of foot pain and the remedies that usually work for them. One of the most common causes of foot pain is plantar fascitis.  The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot; it connects the bones of the toes to the heel bone. It's not uncommon for someone with plantar fascitis to have a stabbing pain in the bottom of the foot, near the heel. This pain can be at its worst one takes their first steps out of bed in the morning. What a way to start the day, right? As with any condition, certain situations or activities put a person at increased risk for plantar fascitis. These risk factors include obesity, spending long periods of time standing up on our feet, some forms of exercise and dance, and issues regarding foot mechanics, such as a high arch or being flat-footed. It'...

Smoking has been on the decline for decades. However, there are still a good number of smokers out there--despite all the health warnings!  I suppose the biggest fear in this group is the fear that they might develop lung cancer.  And that certainly is a possibility. What they might not consider is that smoking cessation has many other benefits. For one thing, the risk of heart attack, stroke and other vascular diseases is reduced greatly when one decides to kick the habit. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is another health issue that can improve or be completely prevented if a smoker decides to quit. Women of childbearing age who smoke can experience infertility issues-; this is less of an issue if a woman does not smoke.  If a woman is pregnant, the baby is less likely to experience health issues if the mother is not a smoker. Expectant mothers who stop smoking during the pregnancy are less likely to have a baby with low birthweight. Last, bu...

In the US, more than 46 million people suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Even though the incidence of RA has been on the decline over the last several decades, it's painful and debilitating to those who suffer from it. The modern mainstay of arthritis treatment is the use of a class of drugs known as DMARDs (disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs).  This class of drugs has done much for affected patients in terms of improving quality of life and slowing progression of disease. That being said, complementary treatments are still an important part of therapy for those affected by this condition. What are these "complementary treatments" you ask?  Here are some examples: Anti-Inflammatory diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, are helpful in controlling inflammation. Some of the important elements of these diets include fish, vegetables, and olive oil. Heat and cold therapies are effective for acute pain. For joint stiffness, heat seems to have best effect, ...

The elderly population is probably at greater risk for chronic pain than their younger peers.  The wear and tear on knees, hips and other joints over the years is one big source of this problem, combined with the likelihood of other health issues such as diabetes, restless leg syndrome, Parkinson's disease, cancer, stroke, etc. Those with dementia may also suffer from pain--but their ability to effectively communicate this to caregivers is often diminished. Due to the fact that multiple problems often coexist in this population, pain management can be problematic.  It's certainly not a good idea to ignore their pain; that would be inhumane  and could lead to a whole host of new problems including anxiety, depression, and insomnia.  But often times medication options are more limited due to an individual's prescription regimen for their current comorbidities. Fear not!  There are still ways to manage this issue. Less severe pain can be managed using ...

An emerging form of treatment, known as "scrambler therapy" was introduced to the 2016 meeting of the American Pain Society.  This type of therapy, also known as Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment , seems to be useful for various forms or neuropathic pain, including neuropathic pain following cancer chemotherapy. This form of treatment involves using electrical stimulation to block nerve pain.  Treatments are given in cycles.  One cycle of treatment can produce remission for 10 days, 2 months, or even longer. If a patient's pain begins to re-emerge, another cycle of treatment can be initiated.  Study authors are also studying the possibility that other forms of chronic pain treatment may complement or enhance this new pain therapy. You can read more about scrambler therapy and the Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment by clicking here . Sources:  Calmarett.com; Pain Medicine News; Wikimedia

As a young pharmacist, I remember the popularity of codeine containing products--Tylenol® With Codeine, Empirin® with Codeine, and many formulations of cough syrups with codeine.  But as the years have gone by,  the rationale for using these products has fallen by the wayside. First of all, codeine in and of itself is a prodrug. It does not have any pharmacological effect until it is converted by bodily enzymes into morphine, its active form.  Due to genetic variability some people do not possess the enzyme that is responsible for this conversion. When these persons are ordered codeine containing products for pain, or for cough, it does not provide analgesia or cough suppression. Conversely, there are also " ultra-rapid metabolizers " of codeine--in this group, codeine is very quickly converted to morphine, so quickly in fact, that the effect can result in toxicity. Since the medical field does not genetically test people routinely to see who can or can't met...

Web MD has a great slide presentation about home remedies for Restless Leg Syndrome--they're all simple things most anyone can do to help manage this condition. Here is a quick list of ten of the suggestions they present~~ keep a regular bedtime-- helps combat fatigue and keeps symptoms in check stretch before you sleep~ leg stretches may help just before bed or following prolonged sitting eliminate caffeine~ may worsen symptoms for some RLS sufferers warm bath before sleep~ a classic way to wind down and relax before sleep exercise habit~ one study found that exercise resulted in reduced leg movement/deeper sleep exercise your brain~ crossword puzzles, knitting, etc. are good distraction techniques leg massage~ calf massage can help one to fall asleep more quickly yoga~ stretching, breathing and relaxation of can relieve mild RLS symptoms avoid alcohol and cigarettes~ nicotine and alcohol can exaggerate RLS symptoms medication review~ some cold and allergy med...

Hot off the presses!!! We're all aware the of the existing opioid and heroin epidemics going on in the world...and that the need to use more alternative and complementary practices to manage chronic pain is urgent. Sadly, we're also aware that chronic use of opioids has led many into addiction, and ultimately death. But perhaps new hope is in store! An exciting study at the University of Calgary reveals that an existing anti-gout medication can help to ease the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.  Their findings reveal the cellular mechanism of withdrawal and can--and hopefully will--lead to new ways to approach the problem of opioid addiction. Keep in mind that this study is still at the preclinical levels. Let's hope at a future date there is more good news in store. This cannot come soon enough! You can read more about this very exciting news by clicking here! Sources: EurekaAlert; Wikipedia

After my last post, I realized that the terms complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine may seem to confusing to some readers. It is my hope that after reading today's post these terms will be better understood. So, without further ado, here is my attempt to explain-- Alternative medicine  refers to practices outside the scope of traditional medicine. Yoga practice, meditation, chiropractic medicine,  and nutritional supplements or herbal medicines are some examples of these practices.  The term "alternative medicine" implies that one ore more of these non-traditional methods is being used in place of traditional medicine for a given condition. Complementary medicine  refers to using a combination of traditional and alternative medicine to treat a given condition. As an example, a migraine sufferer finds that attending yoga classes regularly helps to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. But this same individual is also under care of a p...

Modern pain management practice is looking for alternatives to opioid prescribing...and as such, they are looking toward some very new approaches--such as the pain management devices that are coming onto the marketplace--and some very old methods--such as yoga, acupuncture, reiki, and nutritional supplementation. The question is-- how can a patient tell what is safe and effective from what is not ? One good resource is the NIH--the National Institutes of Health.  If you go to the Pain Management Section of the site, you can find information on many of the topics in this field. The Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic , two prestigious medical institutions, also offer online health libraries that you can access if you have a computer, laptop. or smartphone. WebMD is another good resource.  Many products--such as the devices on the marketplace--may have their own individual informational sites, and you can visit them for information. A discussion with you medical car...

I've previously mentioned that having a hobby can do much to distract someone from chronic pain...and I've previously mentioned that knitting and /or crochet are helpful to those with stress and anxiety--two common problems in the chronic pain population. Recently, I came across a post in "The Little Things" citing many reasons why knit and crochet are good for your health.  You can read the post in entirety here , but here is the short list of the benefits! 1) Knitting (or crochet) can reduce heart rate and blood pressure. This leads to reduced levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can damage the circulatory system and the heart. 2) Knit/crochet help keep fingers nimble. Just as walking or other exercise is good for arthritic knees and hips, knitting and crochet serve to exercise muscles in the fingers and hands, which helps to keep them from becoming stiff and dysfunctional. 3) Math skills are improved in people who knit/crochet. Following patterns...

Last summer, TIME magazine ran a very thoughtful article about the Opioid Crisis. The piece was written by Andre Machado, Chairman of the Neurological Institute of the prestigious Cleveland Clinic. In this short editorial, he brilliantly lays out how we have arrived at such a critical juncture in the world of pain management, and how we can move forward to a better approach toward the treatment of chronic pain. You can read this very timely article (no pun intended) by clicking here . Sources: Time Magazine; Flickr