If you’re researching pain treatment options the one thing we know is that you’ve got unmanageable physical pain in your life right now. Whether you know the source of your pain or you are still in the process of getting a diagnosis the most important thing is finding a way to get your pain under your control.
The first step in pain management is always consulting a doctor to determine the cause of your pain. Pain management in Edison NJ has many choices of medical and alternative treatments. Because the source of your pain will determine what type of pain management will be most effective, the very first step is to consult a physician.
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Understanding and Describing Your Pain
Before pain treatment can begin, it is important to know just how much pain you are in. Return the definition of pain is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience” and it’s important to remember that pain is subjective which means that people experience pain differently.
Pain is real and it’s physical but no two people experience it in exactly the same way and the perception of everyone’s pain is very different. Some descriptors that might help you to accurately convey your pain type to a medical professional are :
- Aching
- Cramping
- Burning
- Gnawing
- Heavy
- Shocking
- Sharp
- Shooting
- Dull
- Severe
- Persistent
How the brain perceives pain is indisputable however when people are scared, depressed, anxious or even tired they will experience pain differently than someone who has the same pain but isn’t experiencing those emotions. The best the best pain management techniques therefore involves treating both the mind and the body.
What Are the Options for Medical Pain Management?
- NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), including ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin
- Acetaminophen
- Sometimes antidepressants are used to help a patient to sleep which sometimes alleviates pain
- Anti-seizure medications for pain related to nerve damage or injury
- Steroids, like dexamethasone and prednisone, to alleviate inflammation and pain
- Opiods (Narcotics)
- Anaesthetics (not a long term option)
What Are the Alternative Treatment Options?
There are countless options dependent on your age, diagnosis and general health as well as many other factors that really need to be considered. Some pain management methods that are non-invasive are:
- therapy- it is amazing what relief talking to a professional can provide
- mindfulness- one pointed attention on a single activity
- meditation- an ancient technique to “quiet the mind” which has been proven to lessen the impact of pain
- relaxation- a guided process to release tension and stress from the body which can alleviate symptoms
- visual imagery- focused visualization takes the mind off the pain
- heat and cold therapy- following a specific contrast bathing protocol dulls the feeling of pain
- massage therapy- RMTs are trained to help manage pain
- biofeedback- learning to control tension in the muscles, heart rate
Remember, you are the only one who knows what is working and what isn’t. Experts are there to guide and help but ultimately, the decisions around your pain management are entirely up to you.
