Treatment for Pain

Although chronic pain may begin with an injury or illness, ongoing pain can develop a psychological aspect, after the physical problem has healed. Therefore treatment of pain can be very complex and may involve different types of treatment.

Treatments for chronic pain can range from over-the-counter and prescription drugs, to mind/body techniques to acupuncture. Relief may be found by using a combination of treatment options.Over-the-counter medication for mild pain can include Tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin. Topical pain relievers are also available, such as creams, lotions, or sprays that are applied to the skin in order to relieve pain from sore muscles and arthritis. Stronger prescribed medications may include muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety drugs (such as Valium), antidepressants, prescription NSAIDs, or a short course of stronger painkillers (such as Codeine). A few steroid injections at the site of a joint problem can reduce swelling and inflammation.

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is another method of pain control. By pushing a button on a computerized pump, the patient is able to self administer a pre-measured dose of pain medicine. The pump is connected to a small tube that allows medicine to be injected into a vein, just under the skin, or into the spinal area. This is often used in the hospital to treat pain.

Sometimes, a group of nerves that causes pain to a specific organ or body region can be blocked with local medication. The injection of this nerve-numbing substance is called a nerve block. Although many kinds of nerve blocks exist, this treatment cannot always be used. Often blocks are not possible, are too dangerous, or are not the best treatment for the problem.

Trigger point injection is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form, when muscles do not relax. A local anesthetic, sometimes including a steroid, is injected into a trigger point. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Usually, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief. Trigger point injection is used to treat muscle pain in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. It is also used to treat fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and myofascial pain syndrome.

A surgical implant may also be used to help control pain. The implants deliver medicines directly to the spinal cord, where pain signals travel. Intrathecal drug delivery can provide significant pain control with a fraction of the dose that would be required with pills. In addition, the system can cause fewer side effects than oral medications because less medicine is required to control pain. With spinal cord stimulation implants, low-level electrical signals are transmitted to the spinal cord or to specific nerves to block pain signals from reaching the brain. A remote control is used by the patient to turn the current off and on or to adjust the intensity of the signals.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy (TENS) uses electrical stimulation to diminish pain. During the procedure, low-voltage electrical current is delivered through electrodes that are placed on the skin near the source of pain. While effective in the short-term, long-term effectiveness of TENS remains questionable.

Bioelectric therapy relieves pain by blocking pain messages to the brain. Bioelectric therapy also prompts the body to produce chemicals called endorphins that decrease or eliminate painful sensations by blocking the message of pain from being delivered to the brain. Bioelectric therapy can be used to treat many chronic and acute conditions causing pain, such as back pain, muscle pain, headaches and migraines and arthritis.

Physical therapy helps to relieve pain by using special techniques that improve movement and function impaired by an injury or disability. A physical therapist may use stretching and pain-relieving techniques.

Although resting for short periods can alleviate pain, too much rest may actually increase pain and put a patient at greater risk. Research has shown that regular exercise can diminish pain in the long term by improving muscle tone, strength, and flexibility. Exercise may also cause a release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.

Alternative Treatment for Pain

Some people believe that dietary changes and/or eating plant foods that contain anti-inflammatory agents can help ease pain. Different diets have been recommended for different ailments, ranging from PMS to fibromyalgia. Dietary supplements like fish oils have shown beneficial results. Herbal remedies are also used for pain relief. It is important that these remedies are discussed with your doctor, as they could interact with drugs currently being used and be harmful to your health. Weight loss and physical activity have been helpful for people suffering from osteoarthritis.

Relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga have been shown to reduce stress-related pain when they are practiced regularly. The gentle stretching of yoga is particularly good for strengthening muscles without putting additional strain on the body.

Chiropractic treatment is the most common non surgical treatment for back pain. Chiropractic manipulations do help some people. Massage is being increasingly used by people suffering from pain, mostly to manage chronic back and neck problems. Massage can reduce stress and relieve tension by enhancing blood flow. This treatment also can reduce the presence of substances that may generate and sustain pain.

Mind-body therapies are treatments that are meant to help the mind's ability to affect the functions and symptoms of the body. Mind-body therapies use various approaches including relaxation techniques, meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, and hypnosis. Relaxation techniques can help alleviate discomfort related to chronic pain. Visualization may be another worthwhile pain-controlling technique. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis may help you block or transform pain through refocusing techniques.

Acupuncture is thought to decrease pain by increasing the release of endorphins, chemicals that block pain. Many acu-points are near nerves. When stimulated, these nerves cause a dull ache or feeling of fullness in the muscle. The stimulated muscle sends a message to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), causing the release of endorphins that block the message of pain from being delivered to the brain.

Therapeutic touch and reiki healing are thought to help activate the self-healing processes of an individual and therefore reduce pain. Although these so called "energy-based" techniques do not require actual physical contact, they do involve close physical proximity between practitioner and patient. Further studies are needed before the evidence-based recommendation for using these approaches for pain treatment can be made.