Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Four Ways To Help Relieve Chronic Pain Symptoms

Many people living with chronic pain run out of options that effectively help them manage their condition.  Often, over the counter or prescription drugs do not relieve symptoms of pain and leave the sufferer feeling drowsy, foggy, and lethargic.  A recent article by the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted some ways to re-train the body to help reduce instances of chronic pain.  


According to the article, there are four main steps to take to help relieve long-lasting pain.  They are:


Readjusting the spine:  re-aligning your spine may aid in healing the nervous system.  If your spine is out of alignment, the problem could manifest itself through pain almost anywhere else in the body.  Using traditional or more recent approaches, chiropractors may be able to help a chronic pain patient drastically reduce their symptoms.

Pay attention to your posture: this step goes along with the previous one.  People with poor posture often suffer from more back and head aches, as well as nervous system irritation that only worsens with time.  Having good posture helps to re-align your back and neck and may reduce pressure on previously compressed and painful nerves.


Stay hydrated:  When your body does not have enough water, muscles can become tense and stressed.  This makes any pain you feel become intensified.  Try to stay away from dehydrating drinks, such as coffee, alcohol, soda, and some tea, which may make the problem worse.


Monitor pain killers:  It is very easy for the body to become accustomed to medication and, therefore, may make the medication lose its effect over time. Additionally, pain is the body's way of telling you that something is wrong, so pay attention to where your pain is coming from, as well as when it feels worse/better.  In that way, you can more closely monitor your body as it (hopefully) heals!


Chronic pain is a tricky diagnosis in terms of finding the right medication combination that will work, but will not lead to overmedication.  Working with your physician and seeing what is right for you is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

No comments:

Post a Comment