5 Simple Tips to relieve Chronic Pain
Every day in the world, doctors are treating patients who have chronic pain regularly. They typically prescribe medications, nerve stimulation treatment, specialized injections, and even surgery. Alternative treatments are often looked over and ignored as other methods of pain relief. If you suffer from chronic pain then maybe some of the following suggestions may help ease your suffering.
1. Watch your Vitamin D level.Some researchers have just recently started to understand the link between nonspecific muscle and bone pain, and low levels of
vitamin D. Physicians believe
vitamin D deficiency causes chronic pain in most individuals. Consult your physician to have a simple blood test done to check your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be standard for everyone with unexplained pain. Most patients with a diagnosis such as fibromyalgia have experienced remarkable improvements after being treated for low levels of
vitamin D.
You can find good sources of
vitamin D in fatty fishes, and fortified milk products, but foods and supplements are not enough because the body produces the majority of its
vitamin D on its own when the skin is exposed to sunlight. On occasion, severe vitamin D deficiency can be a sign of more serious problems such as inadequate diet, liver disease, parathyroid problems, malabsorption and bowel disease. A good internist can determine the cause of
vitamin D deficiency.
2. Lose weight.If you’re overweight and have chronic back or knee pain, then
weight loss is a great suggestion. On some individuals the extra 20 – 30 pounds of weight causes stress on the back and lower extremity joints, and wears down cartilage in the joints. It also burdens the discs in the back.
3. Seek psychiatric treatment for symptoms that the “pain is all in your head”.The National Institute of Health reports that chronic back pain is possibly the third biggest medical problem in the world. Pain affects people without psychiatric disease, however suffering will often be magnified if you have underlying depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or substance abuse.(3,4)
Chronic pain itself often causes depression, as can many prescribed pain medications used to treat pain. Some physicians were not surprised when research-showing antidepressants can be effective in alleviating chronic pain. Antidepressants are frequently used successfully for certain pain problems even in people without depression.
4. The ER cannot treat chronic pain problems.Some chronic pain patients regularly visit the ER, but most doctors in the ER focus on treating emergencies and are not properly trained in managing chronic pain patients. They are great for relieving pain from accidents and sudden conditions such as appendicitis. They are not reliable sources to alleviate chronic pain for individuals. If the pain has been an issue for more than several months, it is a good idea to visit a multi-disciplinary pain center. A team that has a variety of treatment modalities available must address the physical and psychosocial aspects of your pain.
5. Consider yogaIf your doctor says it is safe, consider taking yoga classes for chronic back pain. A therapy should only be called “alternative” when it doesn’t have evidence proving that it technically works. Research has shown that patients with chronic back pain who participated in yoga for several months found that their chronic pain as well as basic functions improved.
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