Dec 30, 2022
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.
Oct 6, 2022
If you are among the millions of Americans suffering from low back pain, you have probably tried adjusting your lifestyle and other remedies to ease the symptoms. Although it helps upgrade to a high-tech mattress or an ergonomic office chair, the results are not always convincing.
One research by the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) in February 2021 found that how people eat will affect their low back pain. In this post, we discuss the link between Anti-Inflammatory Diet Help and Chronic Pain.
What Does An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Do?
The human immune system activates whenever the body recognizes a foreign object like an invading microbe, chemical, or plant pollen. The process triggers inflammation processes directed at the most threatening invaders.
Inflammation may sometimes persist even when a non-significant foreign invader threatens the body. In this case, inflammation becomes an enemy. Most diseases that plague the body, like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and depression, have roots linked to chronic inflammation.
Foods That Cause Inflammation
Avoid or limit the following foods as much as possible:
- French fries and other fried foods
- Soda and any sweetened beverage
- Margarine, lard, and shortening
- Refined carbohydrates like white bread and pastries
Health Risks of Inflammatory Foods
Unsurprisingly, the same foods that cause inflammation are classified as bad for health. Unhealthy foods will also contribute to weight gain, another risk factor for inflammation. Avoid food components and ingredients that may cause inflammation and increase calorie intake.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
An anti-inflammatory diet includes food like:
- Olive oil
- Tomatoes
- Green leafy vegetables like collards, kale, and spinach
- Fatty fish
- Nuts
- Fruits like cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and oranges
Benefits of Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Nuts can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Fruits and vegetables like apples, blueberries, and leafy greens have high natural antioxidants and polyphenols compounds. They may be effective in alleviating chronic pain and helping you live well.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Reducing levels of inflammation requires you to aim for an overall healthy diet. Your daily eating plan should follow anti-inflammatory eating tenets by eliminating unhealthy foods. The typical anti-inflammatory diet consists of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, fish, and healthy oils.
In addition to lowering body inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet will help you with overall physical and emotional health. Most of these foods effectively boost moods and the overall quality of life.
Reliable Pain Management solutions at SDOMG
Pain can adversely affect your life in a short time. At SDOMG, we offer interventional pain procedures to relieve pain and improve your quality of life. Contact us today to request a consultation with our administrative team. Fill out the form below to get started.
