What is pain? It is your body’s way of telling you that there is some wrong issue inside. Pain can be enervating and frustrating. It may intrude with sleep, work, exercise, and quality time with buddies and family. However, chronic pain is worse as it doesn’t get better with pain medication.

With the recent introduction of new and advanced pain management treatments, there’s no reason for anyone to tolerate severe pain. Pain management provides relief so you can enjoy life. However, treatment is complex and can lead to adverse effects if not duly administered and monitored. 

Hence, pain management may need the involvement of an anesthesiologist or a medical specialist who specialises in pain medication. By effectively treating pain, you’ll heal quickly and continue normal activities sooner. 

Table Of Contents 

1. Pain: Meaning And Definition 
2. Different Types Of Pain 
3. Pain Management: An Overview
4. Pain Management Approaches For Managing Chronic Pain
5. Physical Methods For Managing Chronic Pain
6. Mind-Body Techniques For Managing Chronic Pain
7. Relaxation Methods For Managing Chronic Pain
8. Pharmacological Pain Management Therapy For Managing Chronic Pain
9. When To See A Doctor?
10. The Final Say
11. FAQs
12. References

Pain: Meaning And Definition 

We all experience pain at some point in time; pain is a physical condition that can induce a person to have physical and mental problems. People feel pain when a signal travels through nerve fibres to the brain for interpretation. 

The experience of pain is different for each person, and there are numerous ways to feel and describe pain. Until now, no exact description of pain has been made, but according to the medical point of view, pain is considered a sign of some internal problem. 

It can be defined as “Pain is a complex self-protective mechanism that’s an essential part of physical and mental development that protects the body from danger and harm”. However, it can have good and bad effects on the person physically and mentally If pain isn’t developed in the body. 

Suppose we didn’t feel pain, then we could do many similar things with our body, which we fail to do now because of pain. The body has pain receptors connected to 2 main types of nerves that determine risk. One nerve type transmits messages rapidly, causing sharp, abrupt pain. The other kind of nerve sends the message very slowly, causing pain for an extended period; this is called chronic pain. These nerves send an alert to the spinal cord and then to a part of the brain called the thalamus. 

The thalamus then sends information to other brain regions involved with a physical response, thought, and emotion. This is when you can feel the sensation of pain. Some areas of the body have additional pain receptors than others. 

Different Types Of Pain 

Actually, there’s no exact information about how numerous types of pain can be there. One person can witness pain in their entire body, which will totally differ from person to person. But presently, pain is substantially divided into two types, which are described below:   

1. Acute Pain   

This pain makes the person conscious of injury or localised tissue damage in some body parts. This pain starts suddenly and goes down independently after some pain treatment. But this doesn’t mean at all that acute pain isn’t serious. This pain can also be severe, due to which a person may have to face many problems, headaches, for instance. 

Not only this, if the acute pain increases, then due to this, the heartbeat can get irregular, and at the same time, there are chances of hypertension. There are basically three types of acute pain:

• Somatic Pain
• Visceral Pain
• Referred Pain 

2. Chronic Pain    

Chronic pain lasts much longer than acute pain and has no treatment; it can give relief for some time but rarely gets rid of it forever. Chronic pain ranges from mild to severe to extremely severe. The pain can either be present constantly, or it may come and go. 

It can occur anywhere in your body. However, it’s chronic pain If you’ve been continuously having pain for the last 3 months or more. Chronic pain may be continual, as in arthritis, or intermittent, as with migraine events. Periodical pain occurs constantly but stops between being severe.   

Chronic pain can intrude on your day-to-day activities, like working, having a social life and caring for yourself or others.

Chronic Pain Causes

The problem of pain is different in every person; some people get headaches only by hearing loud music, while others don’t mind it. Some people start having problems with back pain after lifting a little weight, while on the other hand, some people lift heavy objects really effortlessly, and they don’t have any problem with it. 

By the way, the main reason for pain in the body is some condition due to which our body can’t come into a state of physical and mental rest. But still, the problem of pain is mostly due to the following three reasons: 

• Any wound accident or injury( mild or severe)
• Due to any surgery
• A medical condition such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, gout or even cancer

Pain Management: An Overview

Pain management is nothing but how a person can get relief from or control the pain. With the help of pain management, one can get relief from the pain caused by the person from forever to time. 

Whether or not you’ll get relief from pain management depends on the type of pain you’re dealing with, whether it’s acute or chronic and what technology you are using to get rid of the pain.

Pain Management Approaches For Managing Chronic Pain

To relieve the pain, a person can embrace the following four main approaches. There are numerous similar techniques in these approaches, with the help of which one can get relief of the pain from a short time to a long time and many times forever.   

• Physical Methods
• Mind-body Techniques
• Relaxation Methods
• Pharmacological Pain Management Therapy

Let us know in detail about these four pain management approaches individually and get relief from the pain. 

Physical Methods For Managing Chronic Pain

Most physical methods are embraced to get relief from pain when there’s pain, and they work more speedily than other approaches. This also falls under non-pharmacological pain management approaches.   

1. Hot And Cold Therapy 

Hot and cold therapy is a common and safe approach for reducing pain. The heat helps to relax muscles and dilate blood vessels. It helps in quick recovery after injury. For this, the implicit area is irrigated by pouring hot water into a rubber or glass bottle. Cold therapy decreases blood flow and reduces inflammation that causes pain. This is oftentimes done with ice.   

2. Massage 

Massage is most typically used in India to relieve pain. Pain-relieving oils, creams, or balms are used for massaging and give quick relief. Massaging the head provides comfort very quickly in case of a headache.   

3. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a medical treatment involving the insertion of thin needles into the skin at precise points in the body. It has been used for a long time in China and numerous countries near it. Many research studies have been done in India, China and worldwide to prove that this approach can help people manage pain.   

It may relieve short-term lower back, neck, knee, and osteoarthritis pain. Acupuncture is generally safe, but let your invigilator know right away if you witness any problems while having it. 

Mind-Body Techniques For Managing Chronic Pain

In this approach, some activities are done by combining the mind and the body, which helps relieve chronic pain very quickly. The following methods can be used for this:   

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Psychological treatments for chronic pain include cognitive behavioural therapy

(CBT), which is similar to talking or speech therapy. This therapy aims to reduce the adverse psychological effects of chronic pain on a person’s mental health. During this procedure, the possible pain is discussed with the patient and the pain is resolved.   

2. Yoga 

The purpose of yoga is to keep the body relaxed, strong and flexible through stretching, concentrating on specific areas of the body. For centuries, yoga has been used to relieve severe pain. Yoga not only relieves you from physical problems, but it also benefits you mentally. 

Relaxation Methods For Managing Chronic Pain

In pain management, you can also get relief from possible pain by embracing some of the following relaxation approaches:  

1. Deep Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing techniques is a slow and relaxing breathing technique, similar to box breathing, to help relieve stress.   

2. Calm Thinking

Spend 5 minutes imagining a calming scene, similar to a sunny afternoon in nature or sitting among green trees.   

3. Calming Activities 

You can read a book, eat your favourite food, walk, listen to your favourite music or even sleep. 

Pharmacological Pain Management Therapy For Managing Chronic Pain

You can also use medications to relieve the pain. This is the typical technique used to get relief from the pain. To get relief from any pain, you can take the following drugs with the advice of a doctor:   

• Nonsteroidal inflammatory medicines
• Antidepressant
• Beta Blocker
• Cannabis
• Antibiotic

When To See A Doctor?

If you are suffering from any pain that lasts for more than a day and is not going even after taking medication or any other temporary home remedy. Then you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. 

Your doctor might investigate and diagnose the underlying cause behind the condition. And provide you with the necessary treatment required.

The Final Say

Living with pain can be extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. However, talk to your doctor about a personal pain management plan If you’re in pain. Be open and honest with your provider about when you feel pain and what makes it better or worse. 

The doctor might suggest any of the treatment options discussed above that might help you relieve your pain quickly or in some time. You may consult an experienced physiologist or anesthesiologist at Bansal Hospital Bhopal.

FAQs

1. Can lifestyle changes help with chronic pain?   

Yes, Major lifestyle factors like Diet, exercise, Sleep and Stress can affect your chronic pain and help minimise it. Healthcare providers occasionally call them the four pillars of chronic pain.   

2. Is there a cure for chronic pain?   

There’s no cure for chronic pain other than identifying and treating its cause. For instance, treating arthritis can occasionally stop joint pain. Numerous people with chronic pain don’t know its reason and can’t find a cure. They use a combination of medicines, remedies and lifestyle changes to lessen pain. 

3. What are the risks or complications of pain management?   

Different pain management approaches have their complications. Talk to your doctor about drug side effects and the complications from injections, hands-on treatments or other procedures. 

About Bansal Hospital

Bansal Hospital is a multispeciality hospital and is one of the leading, reputable and reliable healthcare providers trusted by patients and their families across the region. It has all the major departments, including cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, urology, liver transplant, bone marrow transplantation, nephrology, gynaecology and more. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technology and has a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors and medical staff who provide round-the-clock care to the patient.

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