Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks. It can be constant pain or pain that comes and goes. This can cause physical discomfort as well as mental health issues. You can experience chronic pain due to:
- Arthritis
- Sports injuries
- Chronic back pain
- Accidents
- Surgeries
Conservative Management of Chronic Pain
There are many options for managing chronic pain, including lifestyle changes and medications, like NSAIDs, over-the-counter pain medications, or opioids. These medicines have many shortcomings, but we’ll highlight the most profound:
- They don’t work for some patients.
- They can have side effects and can be toxic to patients with other underlying conditions.
- Sometimes they have reduced effectiveness, necessitating prescriptions of stronger medications.
However, there are other alternatives that you can use to manage pain, and they include:
Cold and Heat Therapies
Cold and heat are practices that many people use to manage chronic pain. The trick to using cold and heat therapy is knowing when to use them.
Cold therapy
Cold therapy reduces blood flow to the injured area, which slows down swelling and inflammation. In addition, you can apply cold compresses for joint and tendon pain.
Heat therapy
It is more useful when dealing with muscle pain. It eases the pain by increasing blood flow to the area and relaxing the muscle. Heat also reduces lactic acid accumulation, which could increase pain.
Exercise
Exercise relieves chronic pain and can improve strength, mobility, and flexibility over time. When you exercise, endorphins are released which act as natural pain killers. Therefore, it’s essential to find a workout that does not worsen your pain. Chronic pain can affect the quality of life, which can be improved by exercising.
Physical therapy
It is a pain management practice that involves strengthening and stretching exercises, massage, and other modalities, to manage chronic pain and other conditions. Physical therapists will teach you a proper comprehensive home exercise program.
Massage
It is a practice that involves soft tissue manipulation to relax muscles and reduce inflammation.
Shockwave therapy
This device uses sound waves to promote tissue healing. This can be use for muscles, tendons, and joints injuries.
Pain management continues to evolve. Pain management doctors use innovative devices and procedures that can wean their patients off medications. These techniques and devices have been used to successfully treat conditions that were previously difficult to treat.
Get Alternative Pain Treatment From SDOMG
Visit our website to learn more about alternative ways to manage chronic pain. We have a team of qualified certified pain management doctors who will give you quality, non-surgical treatment options to relieve your pain. Fill out this form to request an appointment.