HOW TO AVOID OR IMPROVE CHRONIC PAIN

WHERE IS YOUR PAIN?

Your next step to avoid chronic pain. Click on that area of your body, using the navigation buttons in the left column. A lot of the common causes responsible are included under a common site affected.

WHAT WILL YOU FIND HERE?

There is information to help you assess yourself,in partnership with your health professional. There is material to help you understand the diagnosis, so that you can better assess management advice your are given. There are instructions for self help and when to get professional help.

The emphasis is on non-drug management, directed at causes rather than at just symptom control. The perspective is from my experience as a family medical practitioner in Australia, with major interests in musculoskeletal and nutritional medicine. I graduated in 1964 from Melbourne university and entered private practice in 1969 after hospital jobs in general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and anaesthetics.

The text links at the foot of this page, are to the first pages on each area of your body.

HOW CAN THIS INFORMATION HELP YOU?

Chronic pain sometimes develops because of persisting tissue damage, and sometimes because early response was not appropriate or adequate. Some of the information on this site is to forestall this unfortunate development.

A number of vicious (self perpetuating) cycles can be involved in chronic pain. Muscles become tight,then sore from overuse. As with most parts of our body, nociceptive mechanisms (our pain brain) can get better at doing their job with continued practice. We get disabled, which causes emotional distress and this aggravates our discomfort.

We can interrupt all of these cycles, and reduce or eliminate chronic pain.

Hurt is not the same as harm. It often gives us warning in time to prevent impending harm, and helps us avoid future harm by the "once bitten twice shy" technique.

The pioneering work done in Vellore by Drs. Paul and Margaret Brand, showed the disasterous effects of lack of pain sensation in leprosy.

Despite this, in a lot of situations no harm is being done - and avoiding the discomfort may be causing harm. We can become unfit, stiff and end up with more discomfort as a result. Our mental state can be badly affected too, as we become more timid and avoid activities we could still enjoy despite the discomfort.

The way we are from day to day, feels "normal" to us. People often have no idea they have chronically tense muscles. Healthy fitness includes flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness, but flexibility is needed before we can optimize the other aspects.

I have emphasized attainment of flexibility by stretching, but this is not the only path to that end.

"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

RECORDING IN A DIARY, MEASURING FOR FUTURE COMPARISONS

In long haul situations, memory can become unreliable, modified by emotional turmoil. We whitewash memories to survive and function.

Recording activities and corresponding pain levels, may allow one to later "see the wood for the trees." Your improvement may show in better function, even if pain levels are the same.
Fold each page over so you don't reread your entries - try to make each a fresh assessment.

PRIVACY POLICY

Your name, e-mail and any other details will never be sold, hired out nor shared.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management has just updated its guidelines. (Anesthesiology. 2010;112:810-833) Their list of treatment types may be of use when you are considering new treatments for yourself.

They are ablative techniques, acupuncture, nerve blocks, botulinum toxin, electrical nerve stimulation, epidural steroids, intrathecal opiate drug therapies, minimally invasive spinal procedures, pharmacologic management, physical therapy, psychological treatment, and trigger point injections

THE LINKS BELOW ARE TO THE FIRST PAGE FOR EACH AREA OF YOUR BODY.

EACH OF THESE PAGES HAS LINKS NEAR THE BOTTOM, TO FURTHER PAGES FOR THAT BODY AREA OR RELATED TOPICS.

FOR SPECIFIC TOPICS, IT'S WORTH ALSO USING THE SITE SEARCH FACILITY AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE, AS SOME TOPICS APPEAR ON MORE THAN ONE PAGE.