Pain Management

There are a great many things that bring pain into our lives, from injuries to migraines. These rehabilitating and painful moments are when we should seek help to help us to properly manage the pain that we are experiencing. You will find that by speaking to a physician about the chronic pain that you experience and the severity of that pain can help to settle you into the appropriate pain management routine that can ease your suffering safely. While there are many painkillers on the market today that can be purchased over the counter at your nearby drugstore, or bought online from licensed pharmacies that sell prescription strength painkillers when you feel that the pain you feel may be too great for the over the counter varieties to work effectively. Co-Codamol 30/500 is especially  effective as it combines 500mg of paracetamol with 30mg of codeine. You can buy co-codamol 30/500 legally in the UK online from RXEuropa. You can also buy other painkillers there like Brufen Plus which combines codeine 30mg with 300mg of ibuprofen.

When to Talk to Your Doctor

You may be wondering when you should begin to worry about the pain you are experiencing and when you should speak to your doctor about this pain. While some prefer to go directly to their physician about any discomfort they feel, some feel as though they should wait for a certain level of pain or a specific number of days. Sadly there is no magic number that can truly be given that would encompass all situations, however if you are suffering from severe pain due to traumatic injury, or illness it is best to speak to your doctor immediately. For those who are suffering from mild to moderate pain, it can usually become concerning around the third or fourth day that you are experiencing the discomfort.

How to Talk to Your Doctor about Pain

When seeking out a pain management routine from your doctor, it is best to not only clearly describe your pain as well as levels of pain, but exactly where this pain is located. While it may not seem as though this information is particularly important to you, your doctor may be able to provide you with a diagnosis as to what is causing your pain and provide you with the appropriate pain management through the use of painkillers. This can not only temporarily relieve you of the pain you are experiencing but allow the doctor to permanently rid you of the discomfort as quickly as possible. They may even have you provide a degree rating of the pain using the pain scale of 1 being mild to 10 being extremely severe. Speaking with your doctor can also ensure that proper care is taken to reduce or relieve your pain and other symptoms you may be experiencing.

New Lower Back Pain Study Supports Existing Thinking Concerning Lower Back Pain Management

A new study coming out of Australia concludes that people suffering from lower back often misidentify what caused the pain. According to the study, when asked by a doctor, most of the patients surveyed identified a specific event on a specific day that they felt triggered the back pain. The survey suggests that many patients misidentify the cause of the lower back pain because lower back pain can start days or weeks after the event that caused the pain.

Lower Back Pain May Be Caused by Something Other Than Strenuous Activity

According to the survey, people most often attributed lower back pain to strenuous activity, such as lifting or heavy exercise. The patients that were part of the study suffered from a severe pain flare up in their lower back. They reported experiencing strenuous activity during the immediate time prior to the flare up; and, in the opinions of the originators of the study, falsely attributed the flare up to this trigger.

Knowing the Cause Doesn’t Help With Pain Management

The thrust of the study revolves around the necessity for pinpointing the cause of the back pain. The study concluded that causation may help with preventing further lower back pain, but it does not aid in the pain management of lower back pain.

Lower back pain management is not about preventing. It’s about treating existing lower back pain. Lower back pain management options vary from things that you can do at home to services provided by a healthcare professional. As with all pain management plans, you need to use the plan that works best for you with the resources that you have available to you.

At Home Lower Back Pain Management

There are a variety of things you can do to manage your lower back pain at home. For example, you can sleep with a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure off of your lower back. If you sleep on your back, place the pillow under your knees.

There are several other measures you can also take to manage your lower back pain. You can take over the counter pain medication, such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. You could also try ice or heat. In addition to these suggestions, you could also induce the release of endorphins. To do this, you could try massage therapy, meditation, eating dark chocolate, or creating a happy mood by doing something that you enjoy.

Professional Pain Management for the Lower Back

If the pain is severe, you might want to consider seeking help from a healthcare professional. Your healthcare provider might suggest pain killers if your pain is acute. Another option is an epidural steroid injection.If your lower back pain becomes persists, your healthcare provider may suggest that tests be performed to determine why your lower back is hurting. In addition to pain killers, physical therapy may be suggested.

The Basics of Lower Back Pain Management

The purpose of pain management for the lower back is to alleviate the pain that you feel while your lower back heals. While knowing the cause of the back pain may help in preventing further lower back pain and for treating specific conditions that cause lower back pain, it doesn’t help with pain management. What does help is knowing the options that are available to you, and choosing the option that is best for you.

 

Pain Management and the Elderly

There’s a common misconception that pain is a part of growing older, and that a person just needs to get used to it. This misconception couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, pain is a part of life, but it’s not normal. Actually, the truth is the opposite. Pain is a warning system that lets the sufferer know that something is not right within his or her body. The body is expecting you to do something about the pain.

Expressing Pain Can Be Difficult for the Elderly

Due to various factors, such as dementia or stroke, some elderly patients may not be able to verbally express that he or she is in pain. In these cases, the individuals that provide care for the elderly should be attentive and actively look for the effects of pain. Just as the elderly may not be able to express that they are in pain, they may not be able to express their wishes regarding pain management. It’s important that elderly care providers speak with the family of the patient to gain an understanding of the patient’s wishes.

Pain medication and the Elderly

Elderly patients may react differently to pain medications than younger patients would. As the body ages, changes occur internally that change the body’s acceptance of certain medications. To compensate for these unseen changes, doctors usually prescribe a lower dose for elderly patients, at first. Once the doctor has determined that the medication is safe for the patient, he or she may increase the dosage.

What Else Can Be a Part of Elderly Pain Management?

Because of the psychological effects of chronic pain, a pain management plan for an elderly patient should include attention and care. Even if the resident isn’t able to communicate, have conversations with him or. Show them that you care. In addition to this, provide the patient a pleasant environment. Environmental factors can exacerbate the negative feelings that a patient could be feeling due to pain. Provide the patient with activities that give the patient something to focus on, such as music or crafts. Most of all, don’t forget the power of human contact. A touch can go a long way toward easing the suffering of another person.

They Don’t “Have to Live With It”

While pain is a reality of human existence, pain does not have to control a person’s life. A person’s age does not determine the quality of life that he or she deserves. Pain management is a needed practice for the elderly, just as it is with any other person. It’s simply that pain management techniques need to be carefully considered for an elderly patient.

Pain management should be a vital component to the quality of life equation for an elderly patient. After spending a lifetime dealing with pain, the elderly patient deserves the right to be relieved of the pain that they are currently experiencing. Providing proper pain management for the elderly is a choice that respects the value of all human li

Dealing With Different Sports Injuries And Associated Pain

Sports are celebrated and incredibly important in our culture. From Achilles to Hercules, Gilgamesh to Arjuna, Peyton Manning to Abby Wambach, athletic excellence and feats of heroism and awe is something towards which many of us aspire, and even more of us admire. Participating in sports can help you enjoy better health, but it can also lead to painful sports injuries.

Woman with hip pain

Woman with hip pain

The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat…and the pain of sports injuries.

Sprains, strains, and ACL tears are commonplace in the sports zeitgeist today. If you play for a national squad, or a popular and well-funded team, pain relief and pain management treatments are as high-quality as they are commonplace. For the average athlete, however, or amateurs just trying to break through the lower ranks and make a name for themselves, options can be limited, and it therefore becomes all the more important to recognize different types of sports injuries and treat them and the associated pain before they become critical.

A few examples of sports injuries and treatments include:

  • Broken bones: A broken bone is one of the most common injuries, and not just for athletes. Above all, when dealing with a broken bone, DO NOT take it upon yourself to try and fix the break yourself. If you can, set the bone, or have another do it for you, but if this is beyond your capability, DO NOT move the damaged area. If you see any bone sticking out of the skin, do your best to keep the region clean and let the wound breathe. Check with your doctor for an effective pain relief agent, ie, morphine.
  • Dizziness: It may be difficult to see dizziness as a sports injury, but make no mistake—not only does it qualify, but it can be one of the most serious. Dizziness, coupled with disorientation, instability, nausea, and/or memory loss can all point to a concussion, which itself can lead to everything from short or long-term memory loss to sensitivity to light and sound to long-term brain damage, depending on the nature, severity, and repetition of the injury. In addition, dizziness coupled with thirst or light-headedness can point towards dehydration, which is itself a serious and painful injury. The best-case scenario includes a loss of energy and disorientation—the worst-case scenario? Death, has happened in the past in National Football League mini-camps. Hydration and regular attention to any cramps or irregular athletic-related pain is vital.
  • Sprains and strains: Whirlpools and warmth are your friend when suffering the pain of a sprain or strain. Twisting or overextending your muscles and ligaments can lead to a sprain or strain, depending on the angle and force of the impact.
  • Ligament damage: Once upon a time there was a pitcher on that great and glorious bat and ball sport not named cricket. Yes, we are of course referring to baseball (fans of rounders will have to wait.) In 1974, Tommy John damaged the UCL in his pitching elbow. The pain was immense, the disappointment was intense, and his career looked over—until, on a wing and a prayer (and a hunch) doctors performed the first of what is now termed Tommy John Surgery. If you pitch in American baseball, this is a term that is at once feared and revered. On the one hand, the surgery (which surgically moves other ligaments to the site and attaches them in such a way as to allow the player to throw a ball once more) has a year recovery time. That’s a long time away from your sport, to say nothing of the fact that attaching ligaments and slowly, painstakingly recovering your form can lead to a great deal of discomfort, which in turn may require pain relief pills. On the other hand, surgeries like this are extending the livelihoods of athletes across the globe.