Learning How To Break Pain Cycles

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Learning How To Break Pain Cycles

 

For some people, pain can be tolerated at high levels; this is someone who has a

high tolerance for pain, and others have a very low tolerance. For most people,

pain is cyclical. Pain produces anxiety and this can intensify the pain. Fear

and anticipation of physical problems can also heighten the pain leading to

feelings of depression and helplessness. When one experiences this pain, we tend

to limit our activities which can lead to a chronic " pain cycle " . This will

adversely affect one's confidence and self-esteem. Being aware of a chronic pain

cycle and understanding its psychological effects, can help you avoid being

drawn into the cycle.

 

In this cycle, which tends to begin with long periods of rest and inactivity,

this causes a loss of physical strength, flexibility and endurance. As a result,

you begin to lose confidence in your ability to do things, which causes you to

lower your personal goals.

 

The inability to do your usual activities, then allows you feelings of

frustration as you see yourself now as being unproductive which in turn, lowers

your self-esteem and may further lead to depression.

 

When the lower end of the cycle comes around and you are feeling th pain less

than usual, we then have a tendency to overexert ourselves in an effort to prove

to ourselves and others that we are still capable of doing the things we could

do before we had the pain.

 

As a result of the overexertion, the pain tends to return more severe than

before. Discouraged and in pain, you begin limiting your activity again,

therefore the cycle begins once more.

 

 

Source of Relief from Pain

 

1. Cold Applications This application often feels best on acute injuries, where

the pain is often hot to the touch or has a feeling of heat radiating from it.

Ice numbs the area, reducing pain. It also constricts blood vessels, limiting

blood supply to the injured site. This action decreases swelling. Ice can also

decrease muscle spasms. If an area is painful to move or swells after exercise,

use ice. Apply ice or a frozen object, such as a bag of corn from the freezer,

to the injury. Be sure the area is protected from the cold application and not

applied directly to the skin. The cold will reduce swelling and pain at the

injured site. This step should be done as soon as possible. Apply the frozen

object to the area for 20 minutes, every two to three hours for the first 48

hours.

 

2. Hot Applications This application is often most affective for chronic

injuries or pain that is cold to the touch or has cold radiating from it. It is

very useful with injuries agitate by cold or damp weather. Heat increases local

blood supply, bringing healing cells to the area and potentially relaxing tight

muscles. Use moist, hot towels or microwavable heat packs for no more than 10 to

15 minutes several times a day. Never sleep on a heating pad.

 

3. Anti-inflammatories from aspirin to herbal compresses, anti-inflammatory

applications can reduce the recovery time by half if done within the first 24-48

hours of an injury or painful attack.

 

4. Lancing or Draining Abscesses, reducing swelling from painful sprains and

strains and toxic swellings from insect bites are all very important reasons for

lancing and draining an injured area. In , cupping is done after

the lancing to draw out the blood from the area. This is a very affective method

used to decrease the amount of time it takes for the area to heal.

 

5. Rest This can be the best medicine for any condition from a cold to a broken

bone. Rest rejuvenates, repairs and reassembles. For acute injury, rest and

protect the injured area. If it hurts to bear weight on the injury, use

crutches, if it hurts to move the area immobilize it with a splint.

 

6. Compression and elevation tend to go hand in hand. Compress the injured site

by applying an Ace bandage. This will decreases swelling of the injured region.

Although the wrap should be snug, make sure it is not too tight as this can

cause numbness, tingling, or increased pain.

 

7. Elevation of the injured area above the level of the heart as much as

possible. This technique will also assist in reducing the amount of swelling to

the injured site.

 

8. Exercise conditioning and stretching certain pains can improve from

stretching such as painful stiff muscles and joints by increasing blood flow to

these areas. Weight baring exercises are beneficial for improving strength and

bone density. Restoring movement and normal function to an injured area is

critical. Learn to stretch to improve your flexibility.

 

9. Dietary Changes So many aches and pains can be eliminated by the proper foods

we choose to eat. Weight gain affects our joints, heart, circulation and blood

pressure among other conditions. Change your diet and change your life.

 

10. Root Cause Treatment Pain is the result of injury or disease. With acute

pain, the cause is often obvious. A fall resulting in a painful scrape or

twisted ankle. In chronic pain, often the pain has been with you for so long, it

is hard to pinpoint the real cause or root cause of the disorder. Most

alternative health therapies see the occurence of disease as the results from an

imbalance. The treating of the root of primary cause of disease is what makes a

root cause treatment very affective in the long term. It does not just treat the

symptoms of that disease.

 

 

Therapies for Breaking Pain Cycles

 

Acupuncture and Traditional :

 

One of the strongest areas in is that of trauma remedies. Cuts,

bruises, lacerations, sprained joints and pain are just some of the daily

problems, which can pop up unexpectedly.

 

Traditional (TCM) is the oldest, continually practiced, and

professionally administered health care system in the world. It is a documented

medical system spanning over 2,500 years based on comprehensive philosophies,

rational theories, clinically tested and empirically verified by over 100

generations of highly educated practitioners. is a total system

of internal medicine which is comprised of a diagnostic procedure based on

signs, symptoms and treatment styles including acupuncture, herbal medicine,

exercise, diet and meditation. It's foundation is based on the principles of

balance; the interdependent relationship of Yin and Yang. Through this balance,

health is achieved and maintained.

 

Herbs are the " medicinals " in holistic healing. Chinese herbs are specifically

used to create a decoction or " tea " and is a very powerful part of healing

dis-ease. Herbal decoctions may also be given in " tea pills " , tinctures,

granules or as an external patch, compress, or bath.

 

" Where there is stagnation, there is pain " . Poor circulation is the cause of

1000 diseases. In , blood stasis and Qi stagnation reduce the

free flow of blood and vital energy resulting in pain.

 

 

 

Biofeedback:

 

Biofeedback is a technique that trains people to improve their health by

controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily, such as

heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. Electrodes

attached to your skin measure these processes and display them on a monitor.

With help from a biofeedback therapist, you can learn to change your heart rate

or blood pressure, for example. At first you use the monitor to see your

progress, but eventually you will be able to achieve success without the monitor

or electrodes. Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions, but it

is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine

headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence.

 

 

 

Chiropractic Care:

 

Chiropractic care is a science, art, and philosophy of healing that has been

practiced around the world for nearly 5000 years. Physicians in ancient China

used spinal manipulation or tuina to help their patients, as did Hippocrates.

Chiropractic care has gained respect as a safe, drug-free, and natural treatment

for: headaches, joint pain, spinal disk conditions, and strains, sprains, and

other injuries. Chiropractic can also offer significant relief for allergies,

asthma, digestive problems, and other disorders.

 

Chiropractic care works by strengthening and balancing the nervous system in

order to promote the healthy functioning of the body. Your central nervous

system consists of your brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves of your body, and

it controls the function of virtually every cell, tissue, organ, and bodily

system. One of the most common causes of nervous system disruptions is

subluxation or joints that are locked up, fixated, and not moving properly.

Chiropractic care includes gentle massage and manipulation of the spine and

extremities to restore proper joint function and strengthen supporting muscles

and soft tissues.

 

 

 

CranioSacral Therapy:

 

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on method of evaluating and

enhancing the function of the craniosacral system - the physiological body

system comprised of the membranes and CSF or cerebrospinal fluid that surround

and protect the brain and spinal cord.

 

CST enhances the body's natural healing processes to improve the operation of

the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress, enhance

health and strengthen resistance to disease. The method generally requires only

a very gentle touch to test for restrictions in various parts of the

craniosacral system. Often the evaluation alone will help solve the presenting

problem. Among the dis-ease conditions for which CranioSacral Therapy has shown

to be effective are: migraine headaches, neck and back pain, hyperactivity,

Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, learning disorders, Chronic Fatigue,

Fibromyalgia, depression, emotional difficulties, Infantile Disorders and

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

 

 

Healing Touch Therapy:

 

There are many different approaches to massage and applications of it. " Massage

Therapy " is a holistic procedure that affects all systems of the body;

digestive, elimination, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic, endocrine and

nervous systems. Many of today's health problems arise from stress. Pain can

trigger stress and just the opposite is true as well. Because stress upsets the

delicate integral balance of all your body's functions, regaining this balance

requires a holistic approach.

 

Massage Therapy and Lymphatic Drainage Massage not only treats those parts of

you which are a problem, but also affects the whole of your metabolism through

normalizing your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems and their

interdependent functioning.

 

Massage for pain is effective by detoxing the whole system and can be done with

soothing pain relief massage oils or relaxing body lotions in order for the

practitioner's hands to " glide " over the body with smooth, relaxing strokes.

 

Remember: often where the pain is felt is not always the source of the pain.

Referred pain echoes to nearby regions and parts of the body that are the

weakest for us.

 

 

 

SomatoEmotional Release:

 

SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a therapeutic process that helps rid the body

and mind of the residual effects of past trauma and associated negative

responses. Its origins date to the discovery in the late 1970's by John E.

Upledger, DO, OMM, and biophysicist Zvi Karni, PhD, that the body often retains

rather than dissipates physical forces resulting from an accident, injury or

emotional trauma. The trauma causes the body to isolate the dysfunctional area,

creating what Dr. Upledger has termed an " Energy Cyst " .

 

Although a reasonably healthy body can work and adapt to Energy Cysts, extra

energy is required to perform normal bodily functions. As years pass, the

adaptive pattern of the body loses its effectiveness. Symptoms and dysfunctions

begin to appear that become increasingly difficult to ignore or suppress.

 

 

 

Trigger Point Therapy:

 

Trigger Point Therapy or Myofascial Therapy is a unique treatment protocol for

the treatment of myofascial pain. Trigger Points produce pain locally and in a

referred pattern and often accompany chronic musculoskeletal disorders. The

purpose of trigger point therapy is to eliminate pain and to re-educate the

muscles into pain-free habits. Treatment of trigger points involves the

application of sustained pressure for a period long enough to release the muscle

spasm, which is causing the pain.

 

The Trigger Point Therapy procedure is one of the most powerful, yet simplest

ways to treat muscle pain.

 

Based on the idea that pain in a certain muscle group stems from where the

muscle insertion is, the particular muscle group innervates and its origin,

great relief can be accomplished by massaging these regions.

 

 

 

These are only a few modalities that have been most affective for treating and

breaking pain cycles.

 

I suggest you explore the therapy that works for you!

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://peacefulmind.com/pain.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit