Have you ever seen Indian yogis in action; how they supposedly defy pain and can lounge comfortably on a bed of nails? Imagine how it would feel to have that inhuman level of control over your body and not feel pain at all. While we humans can’t stop feeling pain altogether, we can certainly control how we respond to that pain.
Well, you don’t have to reach that “yogi level perfection” to cope with your chronic pain, but there are few tricks or even medication that can try to keep your chronic pain at bay. Read on to learn how you can cope with that lower back pain or that dull headache you are putting up with for months.
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What Is The Difference Between Regular Pain And Chronic Pain?
Pain is your body’s way of communicating that there is something wrong in your body. With irregular pains and aches, the issue stops once your body heals; but chronic pain can go on for more than three to six months – or even longer.
In medical terms, the pains that last longer than twelve weeks are classified as chronic pain. The reasons for chronic pain are diverse. Chronic pain can originate from an injury, surgery, migraine, arthritis, nerve damage, infections, or sometimes, the reason might be undetectable.
Chronic pain is not an intense groan-out-loud kind of pain; it has a subtle parasitical existence, flaring up from time to time, keeping you up at night and hindering your day to day life activities. To explore our range of options to deal with chronic pain, we can opt for some medication or try some physiological exercises.
What Are The Ways That Can Help You With Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain can lead to excruciating pain. According to the Best ENT Doctors in Dubai, inner pain arising in the areas of the ear, nose, throat, etc. should be dealt with immediately by medical experts. Delay in such an instance can lead to permanent impairment.
Prescription Medication
Although over-the-counter painkillers like Aspirin or Ibuprofen can temporarily relieve pain, they may not be effective for long-term chronic pain. If you are dealing with chronic pain, it is worth searching “pain specialist near me” to explore additional treatment options with a professional in your area. Depending on the specific condition, the pain specialist may suggest some non-opioid muscle relaxants, more potent pain relievers like Codeine or Acetaminophen, or even antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication. These medications can help change how your brain perceives pain and offer more effective pain management strategies.
Topical Cream
If you are not fond of oral medication, you can try out topical applications. Topical creams like cbd cream for pain can help with arthritis or muscle aches. These products contain the anti-inflammatory element so that they can reduce inflammation in your sore area. Besides, topical creams are safer for long-term use, and they have fewer side effects than oral medication.
Heat or Cold Therapy
Although heat therapy or cold therapy is usually recommended for short term pain, it can also bring relief for chronic pain. Heat speeds up your blood circulation, reducing the muscle stiffness you often feel in the morning. Cold slows down blood flow, reduces swelling of joints. You can try soothing your chronic pain with an electric heating pad, ice bag, a gel pack that you can either freeze or microwave, or simply apply some hot compress.
Chiropractic Therapy
Chiropractic therapy is widely popular for treating chronic pain syndromes. While regular physiotherapy deals with mobility and injury rehabilitation, Chiropractic therapy helps achieve the ideal alignment of your body joints and spinal discs.
With spinal manipulation, you can treat inflammation and wound up muscle. Chiropractic therapy is especially recommended if you have back pain or neck pain, or pain, in general, that is associated with your spinal disk.
Ultrasound therapy for chronic pain is often used by the physical therapists to overcome the pain and healing tissues. There exist two types of ultrasound therapies to one is mechanical and other is thermal. Both types of ultrasound are totally safe and provide relief from chronic pain.
Acupuncture
Our body is naturally equipped with a painkiller named endorphin. In Acupuncture, this endorphin is released by inserting needles at specific points in our body. This traditional Chinese pain remedy is beneficial for back and neck pain, joint pain (knee), and migraines.
Physical Exercise
Physical exercise helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and lower back pain. With thirty minutes of exercise daily, you can notice a significant improvement in your chronic pain condition. Aerobic exercises such as biking or swimming can increase your mobility, reduce inflammation, and keep your chronic pain at bay.
Yoga
Yoga is especially beneficial for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, it is effective for all types of chronic pain. You don’t have to try hardcore antigravity yoga poses or levitating off the ground stuff to reap the benefits of yoga; simply sitting while controlling your breathing can be equally effective. Yoga can reduce that early morning stiffness that you feel after waking up, help you expand your joints function, and help you with swollen joints.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections are used for treating myofascial muscle pain. These are injected directly into your muscle fiber to soothe a tight bundle of muscles. Trigger point injections can block the pain receptors, nerve signaling, and reduce inflammation. It can also be used for migraine, fibromyalgia, and other myofascial pain syndromes.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
If your chronic pain is nonresponsive to traditional pain remedies, your doctor might suggest a spinal cord stimulator. It is a surgical implant technique that involves placing electrodes in your spinal cord’s epidural part. Spinal cord stimulators interrupt the pain signal on their way to the brain, either dulling or masking them. With a remote controller, you can control the device implanted in your body to manipulate the pain signal.
On a final note, pain is inevitable in your life; you can’t just stop feeling pain altogether. It is absurd as it might involve cutting off your nervous system. So you got to learn to live with it.
If chronic pain stops you from going about your daily life, you should try out some remedial action. For starters, you can try out some of the exercise routines mentioned above. If you want to take up medication of some sort, then consult with your doctor to figure out which one you should try. We hope you find a long term solution to your chronic pain and live a healthy life.