Pain management is one of psychological self curing management which we can control if we want to.
Pain is of different kinds such as acute pain that you feel intensely; somatic pain or pain from skin and muscles that is a result of a fall or being hit by an object.
Acute Pain and Somatic Pain
These two kinds of pain will recede after a while. But chronic pain refers to pain that continues on a long-term basis such as back pain.
Then there is visceral pain, which affects your internal organs and is more difficult to identify.
Some pains such as stomach pains can be treated and disappear after a while but others may linger and be a problem to treat like chronic hepatitis. Diseases such as cancer and diabetes can also cause devastatingly chronic pain.
In some situations pain itself becomes a disease.
With the rapid advances in medicine a multitude of medications and treatments are now available to manage all kinds of pain.
And there are now specialist doctors who help you to manage pain at various stages, suggesting a combination of medicines and treatments that will be adapted to your specific situation and condition.
Pain management as a specialty is comparatively new and there are many misapprehensions surrounding it. But for the most part it is taking off as patients and the medical fraternity acknowledge its benefits.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
It is difficult to pinpoint what causes chronic pain and how exactly it is to be diagnosed and treated. But doctors now realize the necessity of addressing this issue and as a result are paying more attention to ways to alleviate pain.
Doctors may prescribe over the counter drugs to ease your pain or may prescribe stronger medications for your specific condition. Pain relieving drugs can be common pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs.
1- Steroid drugs such as cortisone need to be prescribed and treat more serious inflammatory conditions.
2- Opioids such as morphine help to treat pain resulting from diseases like cancer or other continuing chronic pain. Sedatives and anti-depressants have now crossed over to pain medication to help a sufferer sleep well to get relief from pain.
3- Pain management is not limited to drugs but includes other treatments as well, as for example, injecting anesthetics to help to reduce swelling, muscle spasms, and nerve activities that cause pain.
4- You may also be put on an exercise regimen that will improve your functioning and reduce pain, such as yoga and massage. Pain can also be decreased by using electric nerve stimulators that work on the nerves.
5- Acupuncture treats pain using thin needles on the skin at specific points. If the pain is very severe, surgery is an option but only once it is established that all other medications and treatments have not provided relief to the patient.
You need not suffer needlessly from pain any longer.
You must accept that it is not necessary to grit your teeth and bear the pain. Do consult your doctor and ask him to refer you to a pain specialist so that you can safely and effectively tackle chronic pain.
