Pain Management Options

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September 2020

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Inside This Issue

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September is Pain Awareness Month. Millions of Americans are in pain and according to the CDC, 1 in 5 Americans, or about 50 million people, suffer from chronic pain. Of those who suffer from chronic pain, 8%, or about 19.6 million, suffer from pain that interferes with their daily lives.

Pain takes many forms. Some suffer from chronic headaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia or back pain while others are recovering from surgery, sports injuries, accidents or cancer. Whatever the source, it is necessary to find a way to get pain under control. Every year, millions of prescriptions are written for pain medications — many of them powerful opioids that can cause side effects and lead to addiction. Fortunately, there are many options for pain relief outside of taking opioids.

The first step in pain management is scheduling an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause of your pain and learn which pain management approach will be most effective for you. Talk to your doctor about ways to manage your pain that do not involve prescription opioids. Some of these options may actually work better and have fewer risks and side effects.

Alternatives to Opioids

Mind-Body Techniques

Overnight Oats

Advocate Aurora Health

Alternatives to OpioidsThere are many non-opioid pain medications that are available over-the-counter or by prescription, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, steroids. You may also find relief with non-drug therapies that can be used alone or in combination with medications. Some of these include:

Cold and Heat. Cold can be useful soon after an injury to relieve pain, decrease inflammation and muscle spasms, and help speed recovery. Heat raises your pain threshold and relaxes muscles.

Physical Therapy & Kinesio® Taping - A physical therapist can tailor the right exercise regimen for you. Proper exercise slowly builds your tolerance and reduces your pain. Therapists may also use Kinesio® Tex Tape to alleviate pain and facilitate lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin.

Psychotherapy - Psychotherapists can offer many avenues for pain relief and management. Pschotherapy helps manage pain by understanding what the pain is from and learning how to modify physical, behavioral, and emotional triggers of pain and stress.

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Acupuncture – You may find relief from acupuncture, in which very thin needles are inserted at different places in your skin to interrupt pain signals.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) - TENS therapy involves the use of low-voltage electric currents to treat pain.

Injections or Nerve Blocks – If you are having a muscle spasm or nerve pain, injections with local anesthetics or other medications can help short-circuit your pain.

Therapeutic Massage -Therapeutic massage may relieve pain by relaxing painful muscles, tendons, and joints and also relieving stress and anxiety.

Exercise and Weight Loss - Staying physically active, and losing weight can take stress off the pain. Consult with your doctor for a proper exercise regimen for your pain.

Cannabidiol (CBD) - Studies have shown CBD can help reduce chronic pain and pain from arthritis. You can learn more and purchase CBD directly through your PHD's HealtheMall with our partner Bare Roots.

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Mind-Body Techniques

• 1/4 cup quick oats

• 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk, or skim, or soy

• 1/4 medium banana, sliced (freeze the rest for smoothies!)

• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/2 cup blueberries

Overnight Oats

Skinny Taste Recipe Link

1. Place all the ingredient in a jar, shake, cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next morning, add your favorite crunchy toppings such as nuts, granola, etc and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Preparation

Advocate Aurora Health

Research suggests that because pain involves both the mind and the body, mind-body therapies may have the capacity to alleviate pain by changing the way you perceive it. How you feel pain is influenced by your genetic makeup, emotions, personality, and lifestyle. It's also influenced by past experience. If you've been in pain for a while, your brain may have rewired itself to perceive pain signals even after the signals aren't being sent anymore. These are some mind-body techniques to alleviate pain:

Meditation & Mindfulness- Meditation helps with all kinds of pain, whether the root cause is physical, emotional, or a mix of the two. New research using mindfulness meditation suggests we can ease pain by the way we pay attention to it.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation- Progressive muscle relaxation is a deep relaxation technique that has been shown to relieve stress, anxiety and chronic pain.

Breathing Exercises- Deep breathing promotes healthy blood flow, releases toxins from the body, and aids in getting restorative sleep. Some studies also suggest it is also a natural pain reliever.

Hypnosis Therapy - Hypnosis helps you manage the fear and anxiety you feel related to that pain. It relaxes you, and it redirects your attention from the sensation of pain. Research shows that medical hypnosis can help with both sudden (acute) and long-term (chronic) pain from cancer, burns, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Yoga and Tai Chi. These mind-body exercises incorporate breath control, meditation, and movements to stretch and strengthen muscles. Researchers say these mind-body exercise routines can help

ease lower back pain.

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• 4-5 drops NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia, or your favorite sweetener

• pinch cinnamon

• 1 tbsp chopped pecans, or any nut

Tasty Toppings: