Acupuncture for Pain Relief
Acupuncture has been practiced for more than 2,500 years. This practice of poking needles into different areas of the body was once viewed by many in the U.S. as outlandish. Now acupuncture is a common treatment for some chronic pain, though it remains controversial.
Why does poking needles in the skin seem to help relieve suffering? No one’s really sure. It may help release natural painkillers in the body or block pain signals from the nerves. But studies have linked the practice to two potential benefits for those suffering from chronic pain:
· Increased pain threshold
· Long-term chronic pain relief
Acupuncture Styles
There are several different styles of acupuncture, each with a slightly different approach. Some of the most common styles of acupuncture practiced in the United States are:
· Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-based acupuncture
· French energetic acupuncture
· Auricular acupuncture
· Korean hand acupuncture
· Myofacially-based acupuncture
· Japanese acupuncture (also known as meridian therapy)
Sleep and Chronic Pain
Together, chronic pain syndrome and sleeplessness make for a vicious cycle. Not only can it keep you from getting a good night’s sleep, but not getting enough sleep can make the pain hurt more the next day.
Is chronic pain making it hard for you to sleep? Talk to your doctor. It’s also helpful to get into good bedtime habits: keep a regular bedtime and wake time schedule for better overall sleep.
Distract Yourself From Pain
We sometimes think of distraction as a bad thing. Doesn’t distraction keep us from getting our work done? But in the case of chronic pain, distraction can be a type of treatment.
When you’re distracted by a conversation, a crossword puzzle, a book, or something else, the areas in your brain that process pain are less active, according to studies. Even on a neurological level, getting your mind off your aches and discomfort really does help.
Change Your Diet for Pain Relief
Is food causing your agony? It’s possible. People with migraines often find that specific foods — like red wine and cheeses — trigger attacks.
Keep a food diary for a few weeks to see whether any foods seem to make your suffering increase. Then cut them out and see if your symptoms improve.
Keep Track of What Hurts
Pain can be hard to put into words. But you’ll need to describe your suffering to your doctor in order to get the best possible treatment. Make it more concrete by keeping a chronic pain syndrome journal. Using a scale, note how much you hurt each day.
One popular pain scale asks you to rate your painful experiences from 0 to 10, from no pain to excruciating. Other scales use smiling and frowning faces, along with room to add details about what you did that day. After a few weeks, you’ll have a valuable record to share with your doctor, making effective treatment more likely.
Breathe Deeply
Stop what you’re doing. Pause, relax, and take just a minute to breathe deeply and slowly. With your hand on your belly, feel it rise and fall.
After a few minutes of using this simple deep breathing technique, you may feel some the discomfort and tension melt away. Want to know what’s great about using deep breathing as a treatment? You can do it anywhere you like, whenever you like — when you’re stuck in a traffic jam, at your desk, or in bed trying to fall asleep.
Relieve Pain Through Strength Training
Tense, weak muscles tend to be linked with chronic pain. Building muscle strength with weights or resistance exercises may help reduce suffering just as effectively as drugs do for arthritis and back pain . Building strength also improves your balance and flexibility. Aim to strengthen muscles twice a week.
There’s another benefit to exercise, too. Stress contributes to pain, and exercise is one of the activities that can help relieve stress, along with sleep and rest.
Biofeedback Can Help Ease Pain
Biofeedback can teach you how to control unconscious body processes – the ones that normally happen without thinking like heart rate and blood pressure . After attaching to your body sensors connected to a computer, you learn how to
· relax your muscles,
· ease tension, and
· reduce pain.
Biofeedback is most notably used in fighting headaches and painful back conditions.
Supplements for Chronic Pain
Want to take supplements for daily soreness? Ask your doctor. Studies show that some supplements seem to help with chronic pain. Stiff, painful, arthritic joints may be relieved from the following:
· fish oil,
· glucosamine,
· chondroiton sulfate, and
· SAMe.
