Granville Family Pharmacy

:: Pain Tips

Living with Pain Chronic pain is both physically and emotionally stressful, and this physical and mental tension can, in turn, make the pain worse. Lifestyle plays an important part in managing pain. Below are some steps to help manage your Pain:

Step 1 - Relaxation

Planned, purposeful relaxation can help break the pain-stress cycle by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, relaxing tense muscles, reducing anxiety, and giving you a sense of control and well-being. The type of relaxation referred to here is different from the way we commonly think of as relaxing when we take time to read a book or watch TV.

While these activities can be pleasurable and may play an important role in reducing your daily stress, the relaxation referred to here involves learning ways to calm your body and mind.

Find a quiet place free of surrounding distractions. Darken the room. Take the phone off the hook. Dedicate this as time to yourself to not be interrupted. Playing a tape of soothing music or nature sounds may be helpful although some relaxation therapists suggest no background music.
Sit comfortably. Sit in a comfortable position on a chair or the floor.
Practice relaxation for at least 10 minutes. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, meditation, or other relaxation methods should be practiced for a minimum of 10-20 minutes on a daily basis.

Search through the health section in your local library or bookstore to learn more about strategies for relaxation. You'll also want to explore relaxation tapes & CDs. Some offer soothing sounds and music while others provide instructions for you to follow along during your session.

Step 2 - Exercise

Exercise is an important component to your pain management program. Regular exercise improves your flexibility, your aerobic conditioning, and your muscle strength. It can also serve to boost your self-confidence and lessen anxiety and depression. Improving your overall fitness helps to keep you healthy and reduces your risk for further injuries while also helping to control your pain

Tips for Starting an Exercise Program:

Consult with your doctor. Be sure to discuss with your doctor what an appropriate level of physical activity is for you.
Start slowly. Whenever beginning a new exercise program, start with just a few exercises and slowly add on more.
Listen to your body. Be sure to listen to your body while you exercise and afterwards, as well. If you begin to have too much pain, stop doing the exercise.
Learn to recognise the appropriate level of exercise for you. Discuss your exercises and symptoms with your doctor or physical therapist to learn the difference between normal discomfort and too much pain through exercise.

Step 3 - Heat and Cold Treatments

Heat and Cold treatments are effective for alleviating pain and stiffness. The heat treatments help to relax muscles and can be applied through moist heat (e.g. bath or hydro collator pack) or dry heat methods (heating pad or heat lamp). Cold treatments work by numbing the sore area and reducing inflammation, and are especially good for severe joint pain and swelling.

Tips for Heat & Cold Treatments:

Use for the appropriate time limit. Heat and cold treatments should be used only 15-20 minutes at a time.
Avoid extreme temperatures. Take care to assure that your treatment is not too hot or too cold, and do not use treatments if your skin has open sores or cuts.
Protect your skin. When using packs, always place a towel between the pack and your skin for protection. After each treatment, check the area and allow your skin to return to room temperature before using another treatment.
Follow the advice of your professionals. As always, follow the advice of your doctor or physical therapist concerning the use of these treatments.

Step 4 – Get Plenty of Sleep

Make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. During sleep your body heals and recharges, and not getting enough sleep can short circuit this effect and create more pain.

Step 5 – Drink Plenty of Fluids

Drink water Drink plenty of water and other fluids, because when your body becomes dehydrated, pain messages can become worse. In addition, water is necessary for your body to operate efficiently and recover from any stress or injury.

Step 6 - Manage Your Stress

Stress and fatigue increase pain, so stress management is an important component of pain management. While this includes relaxation strategies such as those discussed above, a complete stress management program involves more than relaxation. Stress management means looking at your schedule, planning your day, and setting your priorities. It means scheduling "appointments" with yourself for taking care of you.

Try to discover which type of pain you have, and then speak to your GP or Pharmacist about selecting the correct medication type:-

Musculo-skeletal pain is more responsive to a wide range of common pain killers including paracetamol, codeine and anti-inflammatory medications.
Sufferers with nerve pain (sciatica, neuralgia) may find that traditional pain killers are ineffective, and therefore may need to consider specific nerve pain medications, or may need to consider injections or surgery.
Visceral pain is usually fairly morphine sensitive.
Sympathetic pain may partially respond to nerve pain medications.

Match the release system of the medication to the pattern of the pain

Normal Release (NR) medications are absorbed from the gut into the blood stream within about one hour, and are effective for usually between 4 - 6 hours.
Slow Release (SR) medications have a built-in modified release system, which allows the drug to be absorbed slowly over 12 - 24 hours giving a much longer duration of action.
If the pain pattern is continuous, consider a slow release medication, which produces fewer peaks and troughs in blood levels and pain relief.
If the pain pattern is intermittent, consider a normal release medication avoiding over-medication at times when there is no pain.
If the pain pattern is continuous with intermittent peaks, consider a combination of a SR medication plus an intermittent NR medication for break-through pain.

Match the strength of the medication to the severity of the pain

The strength of the medication should match the severity of the pain if reasonable pain relief is to be achieved. Review and adjust the dose and interval between doses. This should be discussed with your doctor

Consider combinations of medications instead of single drugs

Modern methods of pain relief suggest that using combinations of drugs which act at different pain receptors, have a greater chance of producing acceptable relief than using single drugs alone.
Synergy is an apparent increase in drug pain relieving effect using combinations, which is greater than the sum of the individual effects of the drugs used.
Using a combination allows lower doses of each drug to be taken, and therefore the lowers the risk of developing a drug side effect also.

There are many natural cures for pain, and these can include mechanical methods, herbs, foods, and other pain relief options. When we have chronic or severe pain, we do want relief as fast as possible though, and natural pain relief treatments can help with this whether or not we use over the counter pain relievers. Ice and heat have long been used to help control pain, and many times this therapy is under-utilised which is unfortunate as both methods can be quite beneficial.

Herbs can play a big part in natural pain relief. Capsaicin found in red pepper can help relieve pain from arthritis and other joint disorders, as well as other types of pain. Capsaicin helps block pain signals when used on a regular basis. These plants can be taken as a supplement in pill form, or they can be added to a topical ointment that is used on your affected body areas. If you have suffered a burn that is causing pain, break off the leaf of an aloe vera plant and rub the sap on the burned skin, and you will be amazed at the cooling and soothing sensation that takes place almost instantly.

Cherries help with pain relief Aloe also helps to stimulate collagen synthesis for healing. Turmeric is a spice that can be very effective in joint pain relief. It contains a strong anti-oxidant named curcumin that has anti-inflammatory abilities. You can either add turmeric to your food in moderate amounts, take a supplement in a capsule form, or use a plaster that contains the spice on the joints that are painful. Using the plaster method will also help you greatly reduce any swelling in the joint.

Foods can also play a part in natural pain relief. There are some foods, such as tart cherries, that have certain compounds which reduce inflammation and lessen pain and can be eaten every day. Cherries are an old folk remedy for gout.

Fish is good for pain Fish can also help prevent pain, because the Omega-3 oils in certain cold water fish help to mediate prostaglandins in the body, chemicals that control inflammation . One very effective natural pain reliever is clove oil if you are suffering from a toothache. Apply the clove oil directly to the gums where you are experiencing pain. Topical Emu oil has been known to help relieve joint pain. Menthol oil, camphor oil, and wintergreen oil are all known anodynes, or pain relievers when used topically. They also create a cooling sensation when they come in contact with the skin which helps to create an immediate sensation of relief.

Natural pain relief may come in many ways, and what works best on you may not work as well on another person. Because of this, it may be necessary for you to try many different methods and treatments before you get effective pain relief.

To find out more about how your Pharmacist can help you with your pain management speak to our friendly staff or Contact Us

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