Chronic Pain Today

Pain means different things depending on what meaning of the question you are going to answer.

What Pain Means by Definition
According to Merriam-Webster Online, pain is “usually localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder (as a disease or an injury); also: a basic bodily sensation induced by a noxious stimulus, received by naked nerve endings, characterized by physical discomfort (as pricking, throbbing, or aching), and typically leading to evasive action b: acute mental or emotional distress or suffering”.

What Pain Means to the Body
Pain is a very good thing. It was designed to give you the ability to know when you’ve come to harm, and for you to react. It can mean that you pull your hand away from the hot stove to prevent further harm, or you rub the hurt area so that the body can stimulate its natural painkillers. Pain tells you that you are injured, that you are about to be injured, or that you need to slow down and rest. Either of these is a trigger for you to do something and without this trigger response more harm can come to the body. Chronic pain means that these messages from the brain can be generated far after the beginning stimulus is gone.

What Pain Means to the Person
Pain is very subjective in individuals. One may think that getting a tattoo is very pain while another finds it not to bother. Each body will react differently to pain depending on key factors. How we are brought up, our fears and even things like gender can mean we will see pain differently. Pain is a symptom, a reaction, an emotion. It is a variable that can only be answered depending on who you ask.

Wondering what medical specialist is right for your specific chronic pain condition? There are several choices, and one is right for you.  Here is a continuation of the yesterday post with five other specialists:

Neurologist
These doctors have specialized in the fields of brain, spinal cord, and nervous system diseases, and are good for chronic pain issues such as headaches and nerve pain. It is here that diagnostic procedures such as X-rays and MRIs are ordered and read. They are able to interpret these to see what course of treatment is best for you.

Obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN)
These are doctors who specialize in the care of women. They can do a variety of conditions, such as pregnancy and reproductive issues. This is a great start to your chronic pain wellbeing if you have pelvic pain and are a woman.

Psychiatrist or psychologist
Psychiatrists are medical doctors that specialize in the care and treatment of mental health issues. Many chronic pain sufferers are prone to developing depression, and psychiatrists are able to write prescriptions to treat these mental conditions.

Psychologists are health professionals that specialize in the care and treatment of mental health issues; however they aren’t medical doctors and use therapy and counseling to benefit the patient.

Orthopedic surgeon
These medical surgeons are ones that treat bone, muscle, and joint injuries via surgical solutions. This is where some chronic pain sufferers go to undergo surgical treatments for their pain. They can also do corrective surgery like joint and hip replacement.

Rheumatologist
These medical doctors are those that specialize in joint conditions such as arthritis and lupus. They are able to write prescriptions for medications that you may need in the course of your treatment. It is the specialist for all chronic joint pain sufferers.

Wondering what medical specialist is right for your specific chronic pain condition? There are several choices, and one is right for you.

Family medicine doctor /General practitioner
These doctors specialize in the total health of the person and of family. They are able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, or can refer you to a specialist should you need it. This is generally where most chronic pain sufferers begin their journey of healing and treatment.

Doctor of osteopathy (DO)
These doctors deal with the whole body and the interaction between the body’s systems. They are a primary care provider just like the family medicine doctor, and they are able to refer you to specialist should you need it. This is another choice for chronic pain sufferers to begin with in their treatment.

Chiropractor
These health professionals deal with the alignment of muscle and bone in the body. They are able to readjust and correct some forms of abnormality in the bone structure. They are also able to give patients massages, biofeedback, and other techniques for the session. This is a good start if your chronic pain is due to back injuries or other bone conditions.

Pain management specialist
These are doctors who have specialized their practice to those experiencing chronic pain issues. These can be other specialists, such as orthopedics or neurology, which have further honed their niche to include chronic pain.

Physical therapist
Health professionals that have used exercise, heat, electricity, and other methods to ease their patients pain issues. They can be working on extending range of motion, or the quality of life. They provide treatment to help in muscle and joint chronic pain issues.

Psychogenic pain is pain that has a mental or emotional cause rather than a bodily one. Typically those of any age can get develop it, with women having a slight higher percentage than men. Those that are at a higher risk are ones with a history of depression, alcohol or any other type of addiction, those with PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder), or those with a relative with psychogenic pain. It typically is much harder to diagnose than other pain conditions because of the difficulty to find a reason. Many will be cast off as having hypochondria or Munchausen’s syndrome (where people make themselves sick so that they draw attention to themselves). Currently, there is no known way to prevent psychogenic pain from forming.

Psychogenic pain will typically develop as a reaction to a stress or a specific problem. The patient who is having social troubles with their mate will typically be seen for heart and chest related conditions while the patient with trouble at the office will typically be seen for back related conditions. It tends to be relative. In most cases, the pain will go away on its own after they have worked out their stress, or the reason for the pain. Others will have it manifest into a chronic condition.

To diagnose the condition a thorough medical history and exam will need to be done, with blood tests and other diagnostic tests to rule out any other reason for the pain. Then a thorough psychological exam will need to be done so that the patient can be properly diagnosed. Results though in eleven new studies have found that using antidepressants to treat patients with psychogenic illnesses may help relieve pain over a placebo. Other ways to help include hypnosis and biofeedback, as it will help with both the pain and the intensity of the pain.

Cystitis: A Time to Heal With Yoga and Acupressure By Dawn R Mahowald and Dr. Emmey A Ripoll
AuthorHouse, Inc ©1999,2002 ISBN 1-4033-8870-9

This book explains the different types of cystitis and the difference between yoga, acupressure, and acupuncture. Written in everyday speech, it is simple enough for the layperson yet thorough enough for practitioners. It gives eight weeks of exercises and poses, with tips for those with IC. Also listed are certain poses to avoid, “Yoga for a bad day”, and tips on the IC diet and ideas to keep patient’s flares to a minimum.

I tried some of these poses and felt more relaxed and calm throughout the day. There are simple illustrations to show you how to do the poses and where to press for the acupressure. At 165 pages it gives you plenty of options and tons of guides to help you on what path you should take to decrease your chronic pain. The author reports that 90% of their students have a decrease in their symptoms following the program. That is fabulous for us IC patients!

There is the tip to do the lessons right before bed as the yoga tends to decrease your night urinary frequency. What great news that is for us as well!. You don’t need alot of space, a maximum of 3 feet by 6 feet is recommended.

There is also no equipment to buy.