January 31, 2008
Informing your doctor about the pain that you’re feeling will help him/her determine the right treatment and medications that you need. Be honest in telling him where the pain specifically is, how often it occurs and the pain level (mild, moderate, severe) .
There will be a time wherein your doctor will review your medical records. He/she will have to identify if you have other health problems that are related to chronic pain like breathing problems, heart conditions and arthritis. If he/she even finds out that one of those conditions is present, he/she will give you a different type of therapy.
January 28, 2008
It is not always possible to completely get rid of chronic pain. Your goal may be simply becoming able to do more of your normal activities of daily living than before.
Your doctor may ask you to rate the pain on a scale from 1 to 10. You also need to report whether it is possible to go to work, go shopping, exercise, sleep, or have sexual intercourse.
Sometimes, the only measure of effectiveness of treatment is that you can do certain things that were not possible before the treatment started. This is what your doctor needs to know in order to make decisions about your treatment.
If nothing else works for your pain and your doctor is unwilling to use opioids to control your pain, consider asking for a referral to a pain specialist or a pain clinic.
Source: emedicinehealth.com
January 27, 2008
It is already considered as chronic if the pain will not disappear even after the illness or injury. Likewise, if you describe the pain as aching, shooting, electrical or burning. It may also be a chronic pain if there are discomfort, stiffness, sore or tightness. If you are experiencing all of these pains, it could lead to a more serious problem like fatigue that may lead also to losing your motivation thus increasing your need to rest and lessen your patience. Chronic pain may result also to sleeplessness since sleeping would be impossible because of the pain. Then, lack of sleep could weaken the immune system.
January 24, 2008
You can measure pain as follows:
• Mild pain: Mild pain is self-limited. It goes away either with no therapy at all or with the use of nonprescription medication
• Moderate pain: Moderate pain interferes with function. You can’t ignore the pain and go on with your daily activities, but once treated it will never come back.
• Severe pain: Severe pain is the pain that doesn’t go away and treatments must be continuous. It may takes for days, weeks, months or years, depends on the pain you’re going through. You may be confined to bed or chair rest because of the severity of the pain.
January 20, 2008
Chronic pain is perhaps one of the biggest issues that prevails in today’s society. The difference between simple pain and chronic pain is like the difference between a headache and a migraine. A headache though it is acute, passes as quickly as it hits. This is unlike a migraine which is prevalent and continuous as it throbs in the head for long periods of time. The problem with chronic pain is that it is hard to cure, it fixates itself in the body and becomes some kind of a constant trouble for the person. Like a sneeze disease which is unpredictable. Too often anesthetics are used to counteract chronic problems and too often this had led to some side effect to worsen the already alarming condition. The best way is perhaps combine medicines with the natural method of healing.
January 19, 2008
Recent studies suggest that maybe it is true that magnets have healing power. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston published their recent study on what they found out about magnets. They said that it is more effective to used magnet compared to sham magnets in terms of blocking pains which are cause by post-polio syndrome. Based on controlled study done, researchers said that 76% of patients treated with a magnet got pain relief compared to the percentage of patient relief in sham magnet.
January 17, 2008
Magnetic therapy is a new tool available to patients which provides care and treating ailments. They found it so effective in helping people relieve pain. You will be fascinated and impressed in this simple yet effective invention in treating arthritis, back pain and even fibromyalgia. Some convinced and still hoping that through magnet, it will soon be commonplace to treat headaches, sports injuries and even allergies. We really can’t say. Through new technology, researches may still continue finding its way to improve and helps us to relieve our burden, our pain.
January 15, 2008
There is no one solution to pain, but at least one expert says physical therapy is highly effective. “I recommend it to almost all of my patients,” says Hayes Wilson, MD, chief rheumatologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, and national medical adviser to the Arthritis Foundation.
Physical therapists teach people how to take care of themselves. “If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach him how to fish, he eats for the rest of his life,” says Wilson, noting physical therapists are like fishing instructors.
He is not far off. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapists teach patients self-management skills. In the case of arthritis, therapists show people how to deal with pain in day-to-day life. They show people how to build up strength and improve range of motion, and how to make sensible decisions about activities to prevent arthritic flare-ups.
Source: webmd.com
