Everyday pain management ideas

When preparing for this post, I found a couple of things in the news recently that I thought would be of interest to readers, especially those with fibromyalgia.  I don't know which news you'd rather have first...but I think I'm gonna tell you the bad news.... so we can end on a positive note! The bad news is that a recent study has revealed a connection between exposure to hepatitis B virus and fibromyalgia.  It appears that a a protein in some strains of the hepatitis B virus is to blame.  Maybe this is actually good news in the sense that, the more we know about fibromyalgia, the better we can understand how to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. The good news that I have for you--has nothing to do with the bad news.  A meta-analysis of various medications and other modes of treatment for fibromyalgia were studied.  Winifred Hauser, an expert in the field, made the following statement: "There is no magic drug against fibromyalg...

We've all heard of applying heat or an ice pack to an injury. Recently I came across a different twist on these ideas.  I kind of put it on the back burner, until a friend was telling me that she used it for a foot injury and that it worked really well.  So without, further ado I am passing the idea on to those who never heard of it before! The idea is known as "Contrast Hydrotherapy."  Basically it involves immersing an injured body part into ice water or using cold packs for five or so minutes--immediately followed by application of heat or immersion into a warm water bath. The exercise can be repeated multiple times.  The theory is that the warm application causes the blood vessels to dilate...the cold causes them to constrict.  As this occurs, the lymphatic system follows suit.  The blood vessels have a central pump (the heart!) but the lymphatic system does not.  The hot/cold treatment essentially provides the pumping action for the lymph ...

If you are interested in guided meditation or virtual reality for your chronic pain issues...today's post is right up your alley!  There are many resources for you on the internet, and the good news is that there is a lot of help free of charge.  Here are a few to get you started. If you take the time and do your own web search, I am certain you will find many more! Guided Imagery Resources The resources available come in two categories:  some are scripts that you can simply read and provide your own visualization; the other category is audio/visual that are meant to be listened to or viewed.   Scripted Guided Imagery Resources: InnerHealth Studio: Forest Visualization McKinley Health Center: A Trip to the Beach Mental Health Today: Magic Carpet Exercise Audio/Visual Guided Imagery Resources Dartmouth College Relaxation Series: Special Place Virtual Reality Videos for Pain Management "Dream Castle" ...

The dog days of summer are upon us; and these can be difficult for all of us, especially those who have chronic health conditions.  There's an old wives tale about achy joints flaring up before a storm or during humid weather.  I don't know about you, but I can relate!  Old wives tale or not, there most likely are bodily changes going on in response to humidity, barometric pressure, and the like. Extreme changes in humidity and air pressure are especially difficult for chronic pain sufferers; ozone levels may also play a role.  Therefore, it is important to take action in response to the heat and humidity to help keep pain under control.  Here is a short list of some ideas in that regard.       Climate control.  No, I don't mean this in a global sense!  If your home has air conditioning, use it. This allows you to control both the temperature and humidity levels. . If you don't have air conditioning  in your home, it migh...

Here are some tips from the Cleveland Clinic on the safe use of over the counter medications. Most of us use these medications at least periodically;  using them wisely decreases the likelihood of a lot of problems that happen more often than you might think--things like drug-drug or drug-food interactions, accidental toxicity, or just bothersome side effects. 1.  Use over the counter pain medication for short term pain relief only.  These medications were never intended to be something to be used on a daily basis. 2. Try topical pain relief medications in place of oral medication when possible.  This minimizes how much medication gets into your system.  Most of these products provide a pleasing distraction sensation to the area where they are applied. 3) Use nutritional supplements that are useful for your particular pain situation.  Most of us can benefit from the omega-3 oils in fish oil supplements for pain and other reasons.  F...

In prior posts, I have mentioned briefly something called leaky gut syndrome.  In today's post I am sharing a little more detail about what this is, and what to do about it. Since the theme of this week is the gut-brain axis, and that leaky gut syndrome and "fibro fog" are part of fibromyalgia, methinks this is a very appropriate spot for this topic. Leaky gut syndrome is a kind of grey area in medicine. For one thing, this is not something you would find a a medical textbook.  Not much is really known about the condition except that the symptoms include bloating, gas, cramps, aches, pains, and food sensitivities.  This is possibly caused by a gut that has more permeability than normal. Substances from the GI tract that would not otherwise enter the bloodstream-- seem to enter the circulation in this way.  Once in the circulation, these substances can travel virtually anywhere in the body without interference. Another condition that often accompanies leaky ...

So, in this third post on the gut brain axis and how it impacts our health...in terms of chronic pain and otherwise..we're looking at our microbiome and things we can do make or keep it healthy  ! The human microbiome consists of the "normal flora"...the microrganisms that live on our skin, in our mouth, our GI tract...We all have this world of organisms living in and on our bodies; and amazingly, no two are alike! These colonies of bacteria also change at various times throughout one's life in response to body changes. Of most importance here is whether or not there is a healthy balance of these organisms. We are learning more and more about the importance of maintaining a healthy flora: we're finding out more and more that many health conditions may be connected to the normal flora in ways we'd never have suspected.  Some well-known examples of an unhealthy balance of the microbiome include yeast infections, gastrointestinal disturbances suc...