Four Foods To Reduce Inflammation and Pain In The Body
Four Foods To Reduce Inflammation and Pain In The Body Inflammation is the body’s natural defence mechanism, activated by the
Eight Tips To Getting Rid of Any Pain
Pain is complex – it’s a huge topic – but the good news is that some general rules form a sound basis for navigating your way out of most aches and pains in the longer term. Let’s get started.
Rule 1 – If there is no significant medical issue, assume there is a weakness.
If all your scans and blood tests have come back clear, you probably have some weakness in your area of pain. You won’t be too surprised when I tell you a significant part of the solution will likely be strength work. The only note of caution is that if the tissues are inflamed, they may not respond to strength work without a bit of treatment beforehand.
Working on pain is a bit like working on dental issues; sometimes, you need to get through the treatment side of things before you go away and work on the big picture. Pain relief methods are an essential step towards being able to strengthen your weakened painful areas without risking making them worse. But once that is done the majority of pains relate to some need for increased strength and muscle support.
Rule 2 – Be willing to think outside the box.
If you have been doing the same treatments with the same providers for a long time and aren’t seeing progress, be willing to try out new things. Doctors are great (mine saved my life once), but only a tiny part of their training relates to pain management. Physios are great, but sometimes there is more to pain relief than exercise prescription. Chiropractors are great, but not all pain comes from the joints. Osteopaths are great, but not all pains will respond to a gentle approach. Flexibility and open-mindedness are essential qualities when it comes to working with stubborn pain issues.
Rule 3 – Start with what makes the most sense to you.
The start point of ALL healthcare procedures that involve a conscious and consenting patient is the patient deciding to permit a procedure because it makes sense to them. Find a practitioner who views things in a way that makes sense to you and uses methods that make sense to you. If something doesn’t sound right to you, get a second opinion and a third if necessary. If, however, you know that you glaze over the moment anyone talks about health the way I do when they talk about IT solutions, find a friend or family member you know is more clued up than you and ask their advice. Base your decision on whether the practitioner offering help seems qualified & sincere. None of these principles necessarily mean you will have found the right practitioner. There is, however, a knowing in most people about their pain. This ‘knowing’ means that most of us can tell when we are being given an accurate assessment of what is causing our pain.
Rule 4 – Assume that there is scar tissue if it’s stubborn.
If you have chronic stubborn pain in your back, shoulder, knee, foot or hip, you may not have any scar tissue in that area. So many people do, though, that you are better off assuming that there is scar tissue and finding someone who is qualified and interested in looking into it for you. Countless people with stubborn pain have unseen tracts of scar tissue that form adhesions, irritation and pain in their bodies. If there isn’t any scar tissue, you have ruled it out; if it turns out, you did have scar tissue, releasing it is often transformative. The good news is that straightforward ways of working with scar tissue-related pain are helpful for many of us.
Rule 3 – Start with what makes the most sense to you.
The start point of ALL healthcare procedures that involve a conscious and consenting patient is the patient deciding to permit a procedure because it makes sense to them. Find a practitioner who views things in a way that makes sense to you and uses methods that make sense to you. If something doesn’t sound right to you, get a second opinion and a third if necessary. If, however, you know that you glaze over the moment anyone talks about health the way I do when they talk about IT solutions, find a friend or family member you know is more clued up than you and ask their advice. Base your decision on whether the practitioner offering help seems qualified & sincere. None of these principles necessarily mean you will have found the right practitioner. There is, however, a knowing in most people about their pain. This ‘knowing’ means that most of us can tell when we are being given an accurate assessment of what is causing our pain.
Rule 4 – Assume that there is scar tissue if it’s stubborn.
If you have chronic stubborn pain in your back, shoulder, knee, foot or hip, you may not have any scar tissue in that area. So many people do, though, that you are better off assuming that there is scar tissue and finding someone who is qualified and interested in looking into it for you. Countless people with stubborn pain have unseen tracts of scar tissue that form adhesions, irritation and pain in their bodies. If there isn’t any scar tissue, you have ruled it out; if it turns out, you did have scar tissue, releasing it is often transformative. The good news is that straightforward ways of working with scar tissue-related pain are helpful for many of us.
Rule 5 – Keep moving within reason.
Research has shown that people who stay active have less pain, recover faster from pain episodes, handle pain better and even experience less pain internally than their inactive neighbours. The trick to benefitting from movement and exercise for pain is to follow my golden rule; A bit of pain during a workout is OK, and a bit of pain after training is OK too. If, however, you find that a particular activity is leading to worsening your pain or perhaps increasing your pain for days after the session, that’s a sign of backing off that specific activity for the time being.
Rule 6 – It’s never just old age.
No matter what age you are and what pain you may have, your pain is not ’caused’ by your age. There are always a million other people the same age as you who don’t have the same pain. Usually, they have stayed fitter than you, had fewer injuries, are less stressed, or done more rehabilitation than you. The good news is it’s never too late; I have personally seen 90-year-olds have legitimate breakthroughs in their lifelong pains. Even when you are 95 and you have a sore hip, guaranteed there will be other joints in your body that aren’t sore; those other joints are the same age. Think about it!
Rule 7 – Always be as conservative as possible.
This is common sense, but it’s surprising how often even highly qualified doctors and surgeons overlook this rule. The principle is this, always choose the least risky option with the fewest likely side effects available to you. It makes no sense to take toxic anti-inflammatories, which have many possible side effects if a massage or a chiropractor can relieve your pain. If there is even the slightest chance that rehabilitation will prevent you from needing surgery, try that first. Only consider the surgical option later down the track if you have to.
Rule 8 – Deal with your stress and trauma.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is now officially part of the international guidelines for managing stubborn back pain. Extensive research has shown that stress and unresolved trauma can play a significant role in persistent pains like back pain.
The analysis is detailed; if we add this dimension to our efforts to manage pain, we may find major benefits. How we choose to manage stress and resolve trauma is primarily up to us, there are many possibilities. Three possible options that have been very helpful for me are the ‘Wim Hof Method’ – floatation tanks and the ‘Hakomi method’.
Rule 7 – Always be as conservative as possible.
This is common sense, but it’s surprising how often even highly qualified doctors and surgeons overlook this rule. The principle is this, always choose the least risky option with the fewest likely side effects available to you. It makes no sense to take toxic anti-inflammatories, which have many possible side effects if a massage or a chiropractor can relieve your pain. If there is even the slightest chance that rehabilitation will prevent you from needing surgery, try that first. Only consider the surgical option later down the track if you have to.
Rule 8 – Deal with your stress and trauma.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is now officially part of the international guidelines for managing stubborn back pain. Extensive research has shown that stress and unresolved trauma can play a significant role in persistent pains like back pain.
The analysis is detailed; if we add this dimension to our efforts to manage pain, we may find major benefits. How we choose to manage stress and resolve trauma is primarily up to us, there are many possibilities. Three possible options that have been very helpful for me are the ‘Wim Hof Method’ – floatation tanks and the ‘Hakomi method’.
Final Thoughts
It has been my learning over two decades of helping people with pain that for every 1000 people who have been told their pain is untreatable (or who have said to themselves that it is untreatable), there is only a tiny handful for whom it is true. With the right mindset and tools, the overwhelming majority of pains can be managed in one way or another.
Call us at Featherston Pain Clinic on 04 385 6446 to make an appointment.
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