Those of us managing chronic pain are all too familiar with the multitude of things we do to help us manage our symptoms and our pain. Several different chronic pain therapies and modalities are available to help alleviate symptoms. The following chronic pain therapies may also be beneficial for you. I have used these myself in managing my RSD /CRPS (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy).
Types of Chronic Pain Therapies
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is designed to meet each person’s individual needs, as everyone has different physical concerns. My therapy began in the pool, and then I progressed to the fitness center. Advancing quickly to the fitness center because my range of motion and stretching remained strong, and I continued to exercise and stay in shape before my original accident. Also, I was a dancer from my high school days.
Personally, I believe in the power and importance of exercise, fat or thin – we all need to do it. I think physical therapy was a big part in my recovery, and forcing myself to perform the exercises when I was at home allowed me to get stronger in less time. Physical therapy is usually done 2-3 times a week. I also used a chi machine (passive aerobic exerciser) and found it helpful because it moved my body when I had difficulty moving it myself.
Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
Electrical stimulation, or TENS, is a method that applies pulses of electricity to nerve endings located throughout the body and stimulates them through the skin. This electrical stimulation helps your body manage pain because it creates a different signal than the pain signal. When your body interprets these new signals, it diminishes the pain signal. Many devices, including TENS and Spinal Cord Stimulators, utilize the power of this therapy. I did use some external electrical stimulation found in this foot massager, and found it very helpful, especially when targeting the painful large muscle groups in my body.
Professional Counseling (such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy).
With chronic pain, unfortunately, some individuals can suffer from stress or depression, which can worsen their pain. When you can no longer do all the things you used to do, you can become depressed and anxious. Also, the mere fact that you have good pain days and bad pain days can create the fear of feeling worse, creating panic when you do feel worse. I know that before I had my Left Lumbar sympathectomy, I went through a session and questionnaire to be evaluated to make sure mentally I was strong enough to do the surgery (since an improvement in my RSD couldn’t be predicted). Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying the not-so-positive thoughts we can feel when dealing with chronic pain and learn to create thoughts that are more helpful for our situation. Health is all about the balance of the mind and body.
Pain Management or Chronic Pain Therapies Clinic
These clinics are equipped to offer a range of services to help you manage your pain, including injections, nerve blocks, medication management, and coping skills. Their goal is to help you improve your overall quality of life. They often utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to managing your pain. Those of us in chronic pain are familiar with these clinics.
Biofeedback
I was trained in biofeedback and found it extremely helpful. Biofeedback is about training your body to control involuntary functions. It involves sensors, monitoring, and feedback so you can learn to recognize how your body responds to different things and how you can consciously influence your response. You can learn more about it by reading this article.
Massage and Heat Therapy
Massage is an effective option for treating chronic pain. It helps stretch and relax your muscles, which are often tight and restricted due to the pain. Loosening up your muscles can increase your range of motion and movement. Massage, as well as heat therapy, such as far infrared, also promotes circulation.
For more information on pain and managing it, I found this article in Time Magazine, “The End of Ouch” that I found informative. Many of us dealing with pain are familiar with the above services. Hang in there; remember, you need to try different things. You don’t know what works until you try it.