Pain Management: What Are My Options?

Woman with a back pain at work

Whether you are experiencing pain due to an injury, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or a chronic headache, your number one priority is to keep your pain in check. First things first—you need to consult your doctor or a pain management specialist to figure out what is really causing your pain and discuss the most suitable pain management treatments for your case. Fortunately, there are various pain management treatments out there. You just need to pick the right combination to help you manage your pain better.

Pain Is Different from One Person to Another

There is no doubt that pain is physical and very much real. However, it is measured and particular to one individual, depending on his or her awareness of pain. This is why individuals feel pain differently, explains an experienced physical therapist who can provide physical rehabilitation in Chandler. This also means that treatment will be different from one person to another. Additionally, emotions can significantly influence what your brain perceives as pain. Individuals who fear pain or those who are anxious or depressed might feel pain more severely than people who also experience pain but aren’t feeling anxious or depressed.

Pain Management Must Include Mind and Body Treatments

Managing pain should involve mind and body therapies to address both your physical and emotional issues. This means that although pain medications are a crucial part of pain management, they should not be the only treatment. They should be a combination of the following:

Woman drinking a pain killersPain Medications – For many individuals, this is usually their first aid for pain. Common pain medications include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, steroids, and anti-seizure drugs. While benzodiazepines and opioids are also used for treating pain, refrain from taking these, unless otherwise advised by your doctor. These drugs come with significant side effects, especially with long-term use.

Physical Therapy – This is a very essential component of pain management that should be performed with help from a licensed physical therapist who would create an exercise program tailor fitted to your specific circumstances. Otherwise, you might aggravate your condition by performing the wrong exercises. Proper exercise, on the other hand, will help reduce pain and build your tolerance so that you do not end up giving up exercising due to pain or overworking your body.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – This enables individuals to figure out where their pain is really coming from, and how they can better deal with it. It can also help people understand how pain affects their lives.

Supplementary Treatment Options for Managing Pain

Aside from medications, physical therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, the following modalities and approaches can help you manage the physical and emotional aspects of your pain:

  • Massage and manipulation
  • Meditation and other relaxation techniques such as yoga and visual imagery
  • Cold and heat therapy
  • Biofeedback
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy

Do not hesitate to get help for pain, especially if it is affecting your quality of life. Everybody feels pain. However, when it begins to limit your enjoyment of life, then you need to get professional help for it as soon as possible.

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