At some time in your life, you may have to deal with a significant amount of pain. This could be due to an injury, or maybe the pain after you’ve had surgery, or resulting from some other medical condition like cancer, severe arthritis, or back problems. Pain can be chronic or acute. Acute pain is your body’s normal reaction to an injury, and is often sudden and brief. Chronic pain is pain that is ongoing, and lasts beyond the normal or usual time allotted for healing. Pain is considered chronic once it lasts longer than three months. If you or your loved ones experience either type of pain and it is of a degree that makes normal daily function difficult or impossible, then it’s time to employ some pain management strategies. Here are at least 5 you can use.
1. Physical Therapy
This pain management strategy may require that you hire the services of a licensed physical therapist. You may have to go to a nearby hospital, or get a physical therapist that makes house calls for treatment. The physical therapy treatment usually includes walking, stretching, aerobic, and/or strengthening exercises to help reduce pain levels, improve your mood, and ensure you keep your mobility. A good physical therapist should be able to gradually intensify the exercises while making sure you don’t strain yourself. Apart from exercises, your physical therapy can include hydrotherapy, using hot or cold packs, and massage, or some type of aquatherapy.
2. CBD Oil
There’s still a lot of controversy surrounding this medicine for pain management. Some people believe that CBD or Cannabidiol is the same as the illegal substance found in marijuana, THC or TetraHydroCannibinol. These two substances, while both derived from cannabis, are very different compounds. CBD doesn’t give the euphoric highs associated with marijuana or THC compounds. CBD doesn’t affect the same receptors in your brain, called endocannabinoid receptors, which cause feelings of euphoria. Instead of causing euphoria, CBD inhibits the body from absorbing excess amounts of anandanide, a compound that helps the body regulate pain.
A lot of historical proof exists that CBD and other derivatives from hemp or marijuana can be beneficial for pain management, and many scientists are delving into more research for its use in pain management. If you are considering CBD oil as a pain management strategy, consult a doctor and visit a CBD oil shop in Sandy, Utah.
3. TENS Therapy
TENS therapy, or Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is a therapy that uses electrodes to transmit small electrical currents to coerce the body to enact a pain-relieving response. As of now, research on the effectiveness of this type of therapy is not as intensive, but some people who suffer from chronic pain respond well to this sort of treatment. Consult a healthcare professional or your doctor to know more about this pain management strategy.
4. CBT Therapy
CBT or Cognitive Behavior Therapy offers a way for you to manage your pain, or find relief by enabling you to change your mental perspective about your pain. With the help of behavioral therapists, it’s possible for you to reduce or manage your pain by learning how to control the stress-inducing thoughts that accompany and intensify the pain. While CBT therapy alone may not completely address the pain issue, it can be combined with the other pain management strategies.
5. Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques
The prime examples of this alternative pain management strategy are yoga and meditation. With its stretching, breathing techniques, and lessons in controlling your body, yoga has been found to strengthen the body and reduce some types of chronic pain. If, due to your condition, you find the yoga exercises difficult or impossible to perform, ask the instructor to modify the positions. For instance, if you can’t perform them standing up or on the mat, see what can be done while sitting in a chair. Meditation is also an effective pain management strategy, but don’t expect it to provide complete relief. Those who practice meditation report less intense bouts of chronic pain. Get the advice of your doctor or a health professional before you decide to pursue yoga or meditation.
Doctors and scientists are finding new ways or rediscovering old ways of managing chronic pain. These are a sample of what’s available to you, and you aren’t limited to using them one at a time. Get prescriptions if necessary from your doctor, and use any combination of these pain management strategies to discover what works best for you.