Combination Of Different Therapies Can Treat Chronic Pain

ByAndrew Le Mathu

Unlike general back and leg pain, treating chronic pain is quite difficult. Numerous cases have been witnessed where a single treatment procedure did not help in getting rid of the pain. Rather, pain management specialists combine different medical procedures to help patients in getting relief from chronic pain completely. The medical procedures adopted for pain management are highly diverse and only a certified pain management specialist can tell which treatment option suits you best.

Drug Therapy

In most of the cases, doctors try to treat the problem with drug therapy. Under this therapy, both prescription and non-prescription drugs are given to the patient for a specific period. If this therapy works, doctors continue with the same until complete relief from pain is produced. However, if this therapy does not work, doctors proceed further with other advanced procedures.

Trigger Point Injections

This treatment might be painful but it yields positive results in patients suffering from chronic pain. Here, steroids are injected in the affected areas using injections. This type of treatment is carried out by experienced and certified doctors practicing at pain management clinics. Once the treatment is over, some medicines are given to the patient for recovery purposes.

Bio electric Therapy

This therapy puts an end only to the sensation of pain. Actual pain can be treated only by combining this treatment with other procedures. In bio electric therapy, the pain messages originating from the brain are blocked and thus the person does not feel pain in affected areas. Also, it is being said that this treatment stimulates the production of endorphins (a special type of chemical in human body that decreases pain sensation).

Exercise & Physiotherapy

Believe it or not but simple exercises can help in getting relief from chronic pain in legs, arms and back. Irrespective of your age, you should walk at least 30 minutes in a day. Walking and mild exercises not only keeps you healthy but results in the movement of muscles. If you have not been exercising for long, consult your doctor and then go for it.

Psychological Therapy

Constant pain can leave one irritated and annoyed. In fact, some people take the problem seriously that they suffer from depression. In such cases, it is really important for doctors to counsel patients and keep them motivated. All this is done by pain management specialists under psychological therapy.

We agree that chronic pain treatment takes time but with proper treatment you can surely get rid of the problem. Be hopeful and listen to what your doctor says!

The author of this article is a renowned doctor for Pain Management Specialists. He runs a chain of pain management clinics in Orange Country where patients are treated using advanced techniques. To fix an appointment at any of our Arthritis Pain Management, visit our official website.

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Traditional and Alternative Therapies for Curing Sciatica

ByKathy Lister

How you go about curing sciatica depends on the nature of the original problem. Sciatica is caused by an irritation or a pressure on the Lumbar-5 nerve, also called the sciatic nerve, which is a long nerve that runs from the lower back, through the buttocks, and into the legs. The irritation can be caused by changes of the structure of the vertebrae, the building blocks of the spine, from injury, or from the herniation, bulging, or rupturing of one of the vertebral discs. These discs are located between the vertebrae in the spinal column, and they serve as a cushioning agent when you bend or move. If the nerve is impinged upon by the discs, the symptoms may present themselves as a tingling, a weakness, or a numbness in the affected areas, or as a pain that radiates up the back, down into the buttocks, and down the side of one or both legs. Although some cases are relatively minor and don't affect the person adversely, the pain caused by sciatica can also be excruciating, causing a loss of movement and the ability to bend or walk effectively.

Traditional Therapies

If your healthcare provider is a traditional, Western medicine doctor, he will probably recommend a conventional treatment, such as medication. The first choice is over-the-counter remedies, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen. These help reduce the pain and start to repair tissue at the same time. Muscle relaxants have a relaxing effect on the whole body and can be helpful for short-term use, and the stronger narcotics are medications of last resort. Physicians recommend using as little of a medication as works, and for the shortest time possible. Be proactive, though - follow your doctor's advice, but always ask about possible side effects, too. You should always be prepared.

Alternative Therapies

Not all people respond well to traditional treatments. Alternative treatments and CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine) centers are becoming more popular among the general public for getting relief from their sciatica. Although nontraditional therapies generally do not have scientific documentation of their benefits and safety, they have a long history of anecdotal evidence, and many people find them helpful. In fact, some centers are establishing themselves within the traditional medical sphere, at hospitals and clinics, and the like. Always check with your own doctor before starting any therapy, traditional or alternative, but the procedures described here are generally considered safe for people who don't have other serious medical conditions.

Acupuncture and Acupressure

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years, and has been making serious inroads in the traditional medical community of many countries, including the United States. Traditional Oriental acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy force, called "ki," which includes body, mind, spirit, and emotion runs through the body. If this energy flow is disrupted, diseases and other disorders occur. By placing small needles into certain spots on the body where blood and body energy converge, and by twirling, lifting, rotating, or making other precise movements, the balance can be restored to the body. Chinese acupuncture is one part of an entire complex tradition of holistic healing. Medical acupuncture uses similar methods; however, medical acupuncturists focus on the physical aspects rather than restoring balance to the energy force running through the body. Whether you choose a traditional Chinese acupuncturist or a modern medical acupuncturist is a matter of choice.

Related to acupuncture, acupressure treats the same points within the body with pressure from the hand or fingers, or with an instrument fitted with a rounded head instead of needles. The results of this treatment are similar to those of acupuncture.

Chiropractic

Chiropractors can't prescribe drugs, take blood, or do any invasive procedures; however, they should take a medical history and perform a physical examination just as a medical doctor does, and they can order X-rays, CAT scans and other diagnostic examinations to determine if there is a problem with the sciatic nerve. Chiropractors manipulate the entire body, with the spine as their specialty, and the nature of their spinal adjustment treatment depends on the exact cause of the sciatica. The doctor will generally press on your spine to relieve irritated nerves and increase movement in your joints. If the problem stems from a disc problem, the chiropractic approach to is to relieve pressure to ease pain and help restore better motion to the spinal joint.

Hypnosis

This term comes from the Greek word meaning "to sleep," although therapeutic techniques do not involve putting the patient to sleep. The main purpose of hypnosis for people with sciatica is for the therapist to help them change the way they feel and respond to painful stimuli. If he can convince the patient that the pain is either there or is simply a background distraction, the patient can feel relief from that pain. It is important to note that hypnosis can't cure sciatica or repair or heal a ruptured disc, but it can provide some much needed relief.

Once you have been diagnosed properly, curing sciatica, or at least reducing the pain and discomfort, can be accomplished by a number of alternative and/or traditional treatments. Make sure to ask your healthcare provider what the right treatment is for you.

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Three Movement Therapies For Chronic Pain Management and Prevention

Movement therapies like qi gong and yoga have existed for thousands of years. Much more recently - within the past 100 years or so - different movement therapies have been developed in the West. These new therapies operate under the principle that harmful movement patterns and postures are at the heart of many chronic pain conditions, including back pain. Unlike Eastern movement therapies that raise body awareness and improve posture through exercise and stretching, Western therapies tend to address specific movements directly.

Much of the pain people experience today is musculoskeletal. Repetitive strain injuries and muscle imbalances are often caused by simple lack of awareness of how we use our bodies in everyday motions. Though scientific research into the efficacy of modern movement therapies is lacking, sufficient anecdotal evidence and sound theory combine to make these therapies viable pain management techniques. It is important to be aware of the following therapies, as they offer hope to people wishing to avoid the cycle of pain medication.

Alexander Technique: Alignment

Actor Frederick Matthias Alexander developed the Alexander technique after he cured his chronic laryngitis by changing his movement patterns and eliminating tension in his neck. The Alexander Technique rests on the principle that the alignment of the head, neck and spine are essential to proper and efficient movement throughout the entire body.

Alexander instructors ask their students to perform certain movements while using their hands to feel for muscle use and tension in the student. The instructor makes adjustments throughout the session to encourage your body to release any unnecessary tension. Some instructors will try to teach only a few simple movement postures and patterns that you can transfer to other movements and activities. Other instructors prefer to guide you through many different kinds of movement.

According to AlexanderTechnique.com, most students take between 20 and 40 lessons within a three month period, occasionally coming back for refresher lessons.

Feldenkrais Method: Neuromuscular Retraining

Moshe Feldenkrais has a rich background in science and martial arts. He developed his movement therapy with the goal of increasing self-awareness to improve movement.

There are two types of classes offered in the Feldenkrais Method: group lessons called Awareness Through Movement and individual lessons called Functional Integration. In Awareness Through Movement, an instructor verbally instructs students to perform a particular movement. Self-discovery is emphasized in these lessons; the student is encouraged to be creative about different movement options and to be aware of the ways in which they habitually tense certain muscle groups. There are hundreds of Awareness Through Movement classes, each dedicated to a particular movement.

Functional Integration lessons are largely passive. They are usually done with the student lying down, but can be done in other positions. The instructor guides the student's body through movements in a relaxed and gentle manner. The goal is to retrain the nervous system to keep muscles from tensing. See a video of Functional Integration at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

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