Effective Techniques to Manage and Control Pain

One of the most uncomfortable feelings is pain. It causes discomfort to a level that affects your overall health. In some cases, pain can also need to poor mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. The kind of pain and the amount of pain you experience tells your doctor the degree of your disease or illness. To get relief from pain, you can reach out to a private GP clinic in London.

Your pain can range from something mild to severe. However, acute pain occurs only after ignoring an issue for a few days or weeks. Generally, the acute pain goes away within a few weeks if you take the necessary actions at the right time. On the contrary, chronic pain does not subside easily. When a particular pain last for more than three months, it is known as chronic pain.

It is frustrating to deal with body pain. However, we are here to reduce your frustration and discomfort. In this blog, we will share with you the various techniques you can choose to manage pain. Generally, it will be better to visit a private general physician to address pain and find out its actual cause. However, the pain management techniques discussed here will surely help you.

What is pain management?

The techniques you used to control and reduce the amount of pain in your body for a long time are known as pain management. Apart from medication, there are various other forms of managing pain that we will discuss here. You must be wondering about the kind of pain management technique that will suit you. Well, this entirely depends on how you have got an injury.

Generally, there are two types of pain:

1. Neuropathic
   
   Neuropathic pain occurs when you are brain misreads a signal sent by the nerve or spinal cord. It can be a result of nerve damage or pain in the nerve.
   
2. Nociceptive
   
   Imagine you are touching a hot iron. You immediately pull back your hand. This happens because your nervous system gives your brain a signal. Automatically, it sends a message to your hand to pull it back. This is an example of nociceptive pain.

Physical techniques for managing pain

Some of the physical methods that can give you relief from pain are as follows:

• Hot and cold therapy

One of the most common and safe techniques to get relief from pain is hot and cold therapy. You must have heard your grandparents and parents asking you to follow this technique to relieve pain. When the affected muscles and blood vessels get the heat, they get relaxed and help in the digestion of the blood vessels.

Right after an injury, most doctors ask you to follow hot and cold therapy to heal the muscles. On the other hand, cold therapy reduces the inflammation and the blood flow that otherwise causes pain in your muscles. You can use an ice pack wrapped in a towel to apply on the skin.

• Massage

When you manipulate the soft tissues of your body by using light pushing methods, it is known as a massage. For getting the optimal results, make sure to include some pain relief medication and physical therapy along with the massage. Some of the brilliant benefits of massage include the following:

• Increasing flexibility
• Reducing inflammation
• Enhancing relaxation
• Improving blood circulation
• Improving posture
• Reducing stiffness

Acupuncture

In the process of acupuncture, a practitioner uses thin needles to inject at the precise points of your body to reduce pain and inflammation. To apply acupuncture, make sure to use it only for short-term pain relief and management. The common areas of pain in which acupuncture works the best are:

• The lower back
• Knees
• Neck
• Osteoarthritis

Some of the magnificent benefits of acupuncture include the following:

• Relieving pain
• Reducing inflammation
• Relaxing the affected muscles
• Reducing the muscle spasms

Make sure to conduct the acupuncture under the guidance of trained hands who uses completely sterilized needles.

Psychological pain-relieving techniques

You will be surprised to know that you can manage chronic pain by combining psychology into your body. Some of the psychological processes or mind-body techniques to manage and control pain are as follows:

• Cognitive behavior therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy makes use of some psychological treatments to reduce chronic pain. Here, generally, the physician makes use of certain talking therapies to divert your mind from the pain and relieve it completely.

Every chronic pain is accommodated with a negative thought that runs through your mind. The purpose of such a psychological treatment is to reduce and control this negative effect of chronic pain and eliminate it from your mind. Besides, psychological pain management treatment procedures help to improve the overall quality of your life.

• Yoga

You must have come across doctors asking you to practice yoga every day. The purpose of practicing yoga is to enhance your flexibility relax your muscles strengthen your muscles and improve your body balance. For this, the yoga practitioners ask you to follow some stretching techniques and particular poses.

All of these stretching and poses target the various areas of your body. Practicing yoga every day can help reduce chronic pain gradually. However, not all yoga asanas are suitable for people of all ages. Here, a yoga instructor can help you. He will look into your case and decide on a yoga plan for you.

• Tai chi

Another effective pain management treatment is tai chi. In this process, you have to perform exercises that combine your body’s fluid movements with relaxation and breathing techniques. The entire process is extremely gentle and gives relief to the muscles and joints. Besides, tai chi has the power to improve your joint stability and strength. Moreover, tai chi helps to enhance your overall mood and productivity.

Conclusion

Indeed, there are various ways to manage and control your chronic pain. The kind of pain management treatment you need will depend on how you have got your injury. Make sure to reach out to a private GP clinic in London to learn the kind of pain management approach you need to follow. Apart from the management techniques discussed here, the doctor might suggest you some drugs to control the pain.

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