Pain management
What is pain? Pain is a complex mix of signals triggered by nerve sensors know as nociceptors, nervous impulses triggered by receptors in within your nervous system that are akin to electrical impulses that send information both too and from areas of your body back to your brain, these receptors respond to stimuli, for example chemical chilli pepper, thermal in the form of heat and mechanical in the form of pressure.
Don't take pain laying down
Pain is a complicated experience coupled with an emotional experience with a number of chemical and physiological reactions but for simplicity imagine a pulse that sends a wave across the ocean, the more powerful and faster the wave becomes the more impact the wave has on the shore, a little stimulation is essential for us to live without damaging ourselves but too much can be debilitation.
What Causes Pain?
You have a number of sensors that assist you in everyday life and are designed to keep you safe from carelessness and injury. You have several receptors including pressure, heat For example heat receptors register levels of heat, when your heat sensors detect dangerous levels of heat they react to protect you from damage by triggering pain, a sure and unmistakable signal that will normally remove you from danger and cell damage.
Living with pain can be a depressing and miserable experience, we can send probes to the far reaches of our solar system, put humans on the moon but we are still a long way from solving human suffering. Pain management drugs exist that help ease pain and can help people to live normal lives, speak to your Doctor if you are in need of help with pain management.
Can I manage some of my pain with reduced medication
According to a number of recent studies the answer is a resounding yes, although everyone has a different tolerance to pain and no one should suffer so if you need help please seek medical advice from a medical expert and not doctor google, this article in not advice and is merely hear with the intention of providing alternative solutions and helpful suggestions this is not medical advice and we are not medical professionals.
Exercise and pain management
Exercise is a great way of helping to reduce pain, swimming is great for back pain as it is a weightless environment helping to support you weight while you are exposed to endorphins, don’t take back pain lying down, gentle exercises including stretching, doing house work, yoga or walking could help to provide you with much needed relief from pain, don’t isolate yourself, pain can make you feel miserable and anti social but laughter is the best pain reliever of all you might not feel like it at the time but social interaction can be very therapeutic.
In pain but don’t want to be on medication
If you are in pain take action against it, exercise be active and speak to a physiotherapist, chiropractor they may be able to offer you drug free solutions for pain management good luck on your recovery we hope you have a happy comfortable day.
Finding Help With Pain Or Injury
Google doctor is not you best port of call when you have pain or injury and can often lead you down the rabbit whole to a whole host of mystery illnesses and sudo science or at worse lead you to take dangerous and ineffective measures due to self diagnosis.
Diagnosing your symptoms
"Types into Google I have a splinter" turns out its actually a rare tropical diseases that only Doctor Z can cure for a monthly payment of £1000. "Chances are if you are convinced you have something wrong you will search for it and find it, my advice is to talk to a human being and by that I mean a medical expert face to face not an online wizard who will magic away you bank account faster than you can say owch!
Are there alternative to visiting your Doctor?
Yes a number of helpful alternative therapies are available! Physiotherapists, chiropractor and a number of NHS recognised therapies are currently available both privately and on the National health service such as acupuncture, cupping and sports massage.
Little and often
When you experience pain the last thing on your mind is exercise especially when its a constant nagging discomfort mustering the motivation to get active can be a real challenge, you dont need to lift like the worlds strongest person nor do you have to run a thousand miles to gain some relief from pain and gain some benefits form exercise. Research suggests pain is more manageable with the addition of regular exercise, provided you do it safely and effectively.
Note of caution: always take the advice of your Doctor, Physiotherapist or health care provider
5 Top Exercises that can help reduce pain and get you physically active
1. Swimming is low impact and great can provide a great full body workout.
2. Yoga low impact and great for strengthening the core.
3. Walking low impact and anyone can do it.
4. Resistance training great for targeting specific muscle groups and over all strength
5. Body weight exercise for improving over all function and fitness.
Listen to your body, keep pushing yourself to a sensible level dont give up find something that you enjoy.