Chronic Pain Relief Methods

There is no universal solution to chronic pain. Currently, the cost-effective relief path recognized by the Global Pain Medicine Association is an individualized plan that combines "physiological intervention + behavioral adjustment + psychological tolerance". There is no one method that is 100% effective for everyone, and it is not recommended to just take painkillers.

According to the definition of WHO, pain that lasts for more than 3 months can be judged as chronic pain. It is an independent disease in itself and not an accompanying symptom of other diseases. Not long ago, I accompanied my mother, who suffered from lumbar disc herniation, to the pain department for follow-up. Her lower limbs had radiating pain intermittently for three years. At the worst point, she had difficulty getting out of bed. She first heard from relatives that painkillers hurt her stomach and did not dare to take them, so she struggled to suffer from insomnia every day. Later, she randomly took the "miraculous drug for curing lumbar protrusion" purchased online. Not only was her stomach damaged, but the pain became even worse. The director of the clinic said that this situation is too common in outpatient clinics - many people either regard chronic pain as a "minor problem that can be tolerated and gone" or as a "terminal disease that cannot be cured". Both extremes are easy to go astray.

The controversy over painkillers has never stopped. The older generation always thinks that "the medicine is only three parts poisonous" and refuses to take it if it hurts to death, while young people take it casually. Both approaches are wrong. According to the diagnosis and treatment standards of the pain department, as long as non-opioid over-the-counter analgesics (such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen) are taken according to the recommended dosage, the probability of addiction is almost zero, and the side effects are far less than the risks of sleep disorders, mood disorders and even neuropathic lesions caused by long-term pain. But be careful, if you take it for more than a week and the pain is still not relieved, don’t eat more, and go to the hospital to find out the cause. I have been in contact with a migraine patient before. He took compound analgesics for 3 months, and finally developed a drug overuse headache. The original pain twice a week turned into pain every day. In addition to medication, there are many non-drug physiological intervention methods, such as kinesio tape, low-intensity laser therapy, shock waves, including massage and acupuncture that many people love to do. There is clear clinical evidence to support that they can relieve pain, but be careful to find a formal institution. I have seen people go to irregular massage parlors to massage their waists, press the prolapse of the intervertebral disc, and finally have to undergo surgery. Oh, yes, I suffer from occipital neuralgia when I sit at my desk for a long time. I have tried various methods. For me, applying ice packs to the back of my neck for 10 minutes is more effective than hot compresses. However, this is just my personal experience. Some people are sensitive to cold stimulation. After applying it, it will aggravate the muscle tension, so don’t try it forcefully.

Regarding daily behavioral adjustments, academic views have actually changed quite a bit in recent years. In the past, both orthopedic surgeons and elders always talked about the need to "stand and sit while standing", otherwise waist and neck problems would occur. However, in recent years, a saying "posture does not cause cancer" has emerged in the kinesiology circle, saying that as long as you move from time to time, it doesn't matter even if you are slumped on the sofa and sitting crookedly. In fact, both sides are reasonable. The core is not about correct posture at all, but whether you can prevent a certain group of muscles from maintaining a tense contraction state. I have a designer colleague who suffered from chronic pain in his trapezius muscle for 2 years. He went for massage every week, and after two days of massage, he felt comfortable and returned to his original shape. Later, he listened to the rehabilitation therapist and set an alarm clock for himself. He stood up and pulled his shoulders for 30 seconds every hour. He also did 10 wall angel exercises every day. In less than 2 months, he said that his shoulders rarely hurt now, and even the dizziness he often suffered before was much better. There are also many controversies about exercise. In the past, veteran orthopedists said that people with lumbar protrusion had to stay in bed, but now the rehabilitation department encourages moderate core training after the acute stage. In fact, the dividing point is whether there is radiating pain and numbness in the acute stage. If the pain is so painful that you can't even move, you must lie down. But if it is just a dull soreness, moving can speed up blood circulation and relax tense muscles, which is better than lying down.

Many people don’t know that at least 30% of the pain of chronic pain is affected by emotions. I saw an aunt in the pain department who suffered from knee pain. X-rays showed that the joint wear was only 1 degree. Logically speaking, the pain would not be so severe that she could not walk. However, she stared at her knee every day, and felt like she was going to be paralyzed when it hurt. She became more and more afraid to walk, and the thigh muscles atrophied, and the pain became stronger and stronger. Later, the doctor added mindfulness breathing intervention to her. When she was in pain, she was asked not to focus on the painful area, but to breathe slowly and deeply, and to walk slowly for 10 minutes every week. After three months, she was reviewed again. Her pain score dropped from the initial 8 points (out of 10 points) to 3 points. Now she can go to the supermarket for half an hour without any problem. Regarding the role of psychological intervention, different doctors attach different importance to it. Some surgeons think it is "nonsense", but now more and more pain departments have incorporated psychological assessment into the routine diagnosis and treatment process. After all, people who have been tortured by pain for a long time will have anxiety to some extent, and anxiety will in turn amplify the pain, which is a vicious circle.

To be honest, there are always people on the Internet claiming that "one trick can cure chronic pain". I advise you to just swipe away when you see it. Chronic pain is inherently a very individual problem. Some people are sensitive to acupuncture and can be acupunctured twice. Some people have no feeling after acupuncture ten times. Some people can relieve lumbar pain through core practice. Some people feel more pain after practicing. There is no standard answer. It's more like a little tail that can't be shaken off. The more you chase it, the more it runs away, and the more you stare at it, the more you find it an eyesore. Instead, you slowly find a way to get along with it that suits you and learn to coexist with it. Most people can control the pain to a level that does not affect their normal life. If the pain is really unbearable, don't bear it. Nowadays, most tertiary hospitals have pain departments. The solutions given by professional doctors are 10,000 times more reliable than the folk remedies you can search online.