How to Safely Manage Symptoms After Being Newly-diagnosed With a Condition That Causes Chronic Pain
A visit to the doctor gives you so much relief because you will receive a diagnosis and a prescription after that. That leaves you assured you are on your way to full recovery and totally bidding goodbye to the discomfort of disease. But at times, you may get the bad news that whatever condition is affecting you will give you chronic pain. This is pain that persists even after you have healed. Chronic pain may be due to an injury, nerve damage, a range of diseases, or even from an unknown cause. This chronic pain lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Despite this, chronic pain, no matter how severe, does not have to debilitate you. You can safely manage the symptoms of chronic pain by using the following methods.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy techniques can be used in the company of a therapist or on your own. They should be applied according to your level of pain. Physical therapy is aimed at improving strength and reducing stiffness, focusing mainly on your mobility, posture, and heartbeat. It includes positioning, hot or cold applications, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and traction.
Medications
Medicines are another greater way to manage your chronic pain, with some working immediately, while others take time before they work on the pain. The drug includes pain pills like antidepressants, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, and opioids. You can also use medications that are applied to your skin. They could be in the form of topical analgesics like EMLA cream and lidocaine patch, or they could be in the form of a cooling spray like Biofreeze. The medication should be used as directed by a physician.
You should especially be careful in the use of opioids. Opioids include prescription oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone. Opioids are strong pain medications that are both beneficial and risky for the user. Studies have shown that some users become addicted when they use them over a long period. As noted by MedlinePlus, it is necessary to get screened and monitored to ensure that you are free from the risk of addiction from opioids. It would be best if you also got rid of any opioids that remain after use and keep them safe while using them so that they don’t come into contact with other people.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
This a form of psychotherapy used on a chronic pain sufferer, and it originates from the belief that unnecessary thoughts and actions lead to pessimism, which in turn increases your sensitivity to pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy includes various tactics meant to boost confidence in managing pain, coping skills, and changing your response to pain. CBT is fully recognized as a conventional treatment for chronic pain as per apa.org
Biofeedback
This is where you learn to control bodily tasks like the heartbeat and muscle tension through receiving instructions from a professional using some unique machines. In biofeedback, sensors are connected to your body and then to a monitoring device to measure your breathing, perspiration, temperature, blood pressure, and heartbeat. As you lessen muscle tension, the machine instantly reflects success. Gradually, you consciously start controlling even the unconscious body functions.
Support Groups
A support group will encourage and validate you as well as educate you on fundamental ways to deal with pain. Though the groups do not emphasize on symptoms or give any treatment, they enable you to share what you have learned and support you to live a more fulfilling life. ACPA has numerous resources geared towards providing further guidance on living with and managing chronic pain.
In conclusion, do not let chronic pain compromise the quality of your life. Try some of the above techniques to find out which one works best for your pain. Once you discover what best suits you, exploit it to live a life that is as close to normal as possible.