Everyone struggles with pain from time to time. There seems to be a myriad of types of pain from the all too common back pain, neck pain, and trauma-induced pain. Generally, pain is either chronic or subtle. Regardless of the type of pain, it detracts from the quality of life and stops you from enjoying your favorite activities.
But as Dr. Melissa Kempf San Antonio points out, there are effective pain management techniques. As a bonus, the strategies do not necessarily mean you have to go under the knife. These non-invasive pain management techniques provide respite from pain; some can even be done at home. Here are the top techniques to know.
Try Hot and Cold Therapy
Heat and cold therapy are part of the at-home remedies for certain kinds of pain. When you experience intense pain, use a hot water bottle filled with hot water to massage the injured or painful area gently. Heat dilates the blood vessels and promotes faster healing. On the other hand, cold therapy reduces inflammation by numbing the nerves. Hot and cold therapy is usually effective for treating instantaneous pain. If the pain persists, you may contact a specialist for more aggressive treatments.
Get a Massage
Sometimes, you need a gentle massage to calm down and decompress your nerves. Since nerves relay pain signals, massaging them can help ease the pain. The best place to seek massage for pain management is at an occupational therapist or a physical therapist’s center. Subtle adjustments to your body promote the flow of anti-inflammatory fluids while easing the relay of pain signals.
Practice Mindful Exercises
Yoga and Tai chi are long-age practices known to minimize pain. The exercises involve mindfulness and gently moving your body to keep it flexible. The methods are gentle on the muscles and joints, therefore, effective for various pain causes such as arthritis or a sports injury. Having someone guide you through yoga helps you get the most out of the exercise.
Consider Chiropractic Care
Spine-related pain benefits from the spinal adjustments that chiropractic care employs. Chiropractic care also targets injured joints. During chiropractic appointments, the chiropractor reinstates your joint’s natural range of motion while easing inflammation. Since chiropractic care is hands-on, it is important to seek a qualified chiropractor certified by the American Association of Chiropractors.
Get a Blend of Therapies
Rolling cognitive and physical therapy into one is an innovative treatment that pain centers employ to treat pain. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you manage the stress that comes with physical pain. For direct pain treatment, physical therapy comes into play. A physical therapist combines massage, exercises, and sometimes red-light therapy to treat pain. The blend of therapies reduces long-term pain while improving the quality of life. Other alternatives like Neuragenex is a chronic pain management program that offers a better way to manage chronic pain that not only relieves pain, but improves health results in an enhanced and magnified quality of life.
Most individuals do not fancy the thought of surgery as a pain treatment method. Admittedly surgery carries significant risk to its effectiveness. Luckily, there are non-invasive methods you can employ to treat pain without a needle getting near you. Usually, pain-relieving medications are the first-line treatment for pain. However, you may want to try the above pain management techniques to reduce opioid addiction from pain relieving meds. If the pain persists, then seek help at a reputable pain center.