Pain Management

pain management, reduce pain, pain relieving massage

Pain Management

We all want to be without pain (save some masochists out there!). But just what is it, and what should we do to manage it? Massage therapy certainly helps to relieve all sorts of pain, but here is some really great info about pain and what you can do to help manage it and hopefully get it out of your life. Good riddance, I say!

 

What is pain?

Pain is the signal that something has gone wrong in the body. When the body speaks it is good to listen. If the pain diminishes and disappears within a few days, there is usually nothing to worry about. If the pain persists for more than several days, becomes more frequent or hurts with less and less activity then the body is giving the person an important message: “Pay attention!”

The sooner appropriate healing begins, the better are the person’s chances of full recovery. Early warning signals are too frequently ignored and often result in more severe injuries, which may incapacitate the person for months or years. Curtailing activities or resting for a few days may be all that is needed. In other circumstances it may be necessary for the person to be treated by a physician or hands-on health care practitioner.

Pain is often divided into two main types: acute and chronic

Acute pain
Acute pain is the result of tissue damage and is generally short-lived. The pain gradually disappears through the course of normal healing. Acute pain has an identifiable cause and purpose. Due to the short-term nature of acute pain, persistent psychological reactions rarely result.

Chronic Pain
Chronic pain by definition is pain that persists for more than six months. Some people with chronic pain conditions have symptoms for months or even years. Chronic pain may be the result of a specific injury (such as an injury to your back or knee) or an ongoing chronic medical problem (like arthritis, cancer, or shingles). Chronic pain may also occur for no apparent cause, baffling patients and doctors alike. It can hurt all the time or occur on and off. Chronic pain often limits everyday functioning and may lead to additional stressors such as sleep problems, medication side effects, reduced capacity for performing work, financial hardship, and strain on significant relationships. As such, the experience of chronic pain and its accompanying stressors may create feelings of frustration, hopelessness, and helplessness–greatly affecting a person’s quality of life.

Pain and Posture

Repetition of postural imbalances over a period of time can lead to pain. The repetition of almost any action that puts the body out of alignment and forces the muscles to compensate will lead to pain. With the buildup of this repetitive imbalanced motion you may find that you suddenly have chronic back or neck pain without every having “done anything” to your back or neck.

Posture may be a major factor in your pain if:

* There are periods in the day when there is no pain
* The pain is confined to areas above the knee
* The pain is worse when sitting for prolonged periods or standing up from that sitting position
* The pain decreases or goes away when walking
* The pain is worse when getting up in the morning, but improves after about a half hour
* The pain is worse during or right after prolonged bending or stooping

If your pain is related to posture, it can be alleviated with diligent application of some simple exercises.

Exercise

Exercise tends to decompress the body and encourages joint mobility, giving some space between your joints and encouraging joint lubrication . It also helps to tone, stretch and loosen muscle fiber as well as break up muscle adhesions. Exercise promotes blood and lymph circulation, which helps to get rid of waste residing in the muscle.

Avoid exercise within two hours of bed time. Exercising produces endorphins, which can interrupt or delay getting to sleep. Morning or early afternoon are the best times to exercise.

Hot and Cold Therapy

Heat Therapy
Heat therapy improves circulation: drawing blood into the target tissues. Increased blood flow delivers needed oxygen and nutrients, and removes cell wastes. The warmth decreases muscle spasm, relaxes tense muscles, relieves pain, and can increase range of motion.
Hot packs in any form should always be wrapped in toweling to prevent burns. Punctured commercial hot packs should be immediately discarded, as the chemical agent/gel will burn the skin.
Use heat 20 minutes at a time at least 24 hours after a minor injury or 48 hours after a more serious one. Place a heat pack directly on the injured area — do not add pressure. Do not apply to broken skin.

Cold Therapy (Cryotherapy)
Cold therapy produces vasoconstriction, which slows circulation reducing inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain.
The duration of cold therapy is less than heat therapy; usually less than 15 minutes. The effect of cold is known to last longer than heat.
Cold or ice should never to applied directly to the skin. A barrier, such as a toweling, should be placed between the cold agent and the skin’s surface to prevent skin and nerve damage. Punctured commercial cold packs should be immediately discarded, as the chemical agent/gel will burn skin.
After you strain a ligament or muscle, it is generally best to use cold (ice or a cold pack) immediately and then for the next day and 1/2. It’s usually wise not to use heat, such as a heating pad, until swelling and bruising has stopped.
Cold is usually used first because it reduces swelling and inflammation. Use Ice for the first 48 hours after an injury. Apply for 20 minutes, remove for 20 minutes, then repeat. Do not apply directly to the skin — put a thin towel over the skin for protection, or freeze a cup full of water, tear off the top rim and move the ice over the injury. This helps control bleeding by constricting blood vessels. Cold acts as a local anesthetic and so relieves pain. Usually the bruising associated with acute inflammation stops within 1 to 3 days.  To relieve muscle spasms, minor sprains and strains, it’s usually best to apply cold for 20 minutes intervals at a time every 4 to 6 hours for the first day and a half. Commercial cold packs may be safer than using ice. Prolonged exposure to cold, especially ice, can result in frostbite to tissues. Later in the process, you may relieve pain by applying heat, rather than cold, to your injury.

Alternate Heat and Cold if you have soft tissue damage and/or stretched ligaments, such as an ankle sprain. Heat aids in restoring range of motion. Apply cold for 20 minutes per hour as desired for the first 24 hours. The next day, apply warmth for 20 minutes per hour as desired.
Caution: Don’t apply cold for more that 24 to 36 hours or warmth for more than 72 hours.

 

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