Millions of people suffer from pain in one form or another every day throughout the United States. It is no wonder that viable pain management techniques are so highly coveted. 

From general pain caused by mild injuries and muscle pulls, to debilitating pain that constantly torments the people that are afflicted by it, the need for safe and effective means to alleviate pain is ever-present.

Pain Medication

Over the years there has been a spike in the number of people that are becoming addicted to the opioids that are common in many pain medications. Although these opioids are effective pain relief options, too many people abuse them to consider them a safe way to address pain.

What is most unfortunate about so many people taking advantage of the medical world in order to abuse opioids, there are millions of people that suffer from excruciating pain that have great difficulty obtaining the prescriptions that they have been using. Although they have never abused their pain medication, they can no longer have it because of the strict laws that have been put into place in order to protect people from themselves.

Understanding Types of Pain

The human body is set up with a huge nervous system that is connected to every part of our bodies. Some places in the body never experience pain, such as the brain. Other places of the body are subject to tremendous amounts of pain such as a herniated disk in the spine.

Splinters under the fingernail, foreign bodies in the eye, flames to naked skin; these are all examples of pain that comes from outside sources and directly affect the areas that they come into contact with.

Other types of pain come from issues from within such as inflammation, swelling, bone loss, and other ailments that come with aging or poor diet.

Some pain is caused by injuries that merely need to heal and subside, whereas other pain will not go away until some sort of procedure is done, or some event happens that will ultimately end the pain.

Kidney stones are an example of pain that merely needs to go through a process and heal. Although medical facilities can give pain medication to patients that are suffering from this ailment, ultimately the stone has to pass and the person has to heal in order for the pain to be completely gone.

When a healthcare professional knows what is causing the pain, and the type of treatment that will be appropriate to deal with the pain they will be able to move forward with the pain relief method that is most beneficial for the patient.

Trigger Point Injection Techniques

One of the popular options to manage pain is for a healthcare professional to inject a cocktail of local anesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication directly into a “trigger point” where the pain comes from knotted up muscles or inflamed tissues around the muscle.

A doctor will use a syringe to penetrate the affected area and inject the solution directly into the trigger point. This has the ability to alleviate pain for a substantial amount of time.

Joint Injection

When people suffer from pain that is caused by problems within the joints a doctor can directly inject a solution into the damaged joint tissue. Much like the trigger point injection method, the ingredients of the solution will be comprised of a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid. The direct contact with the joint will be able to alleviate joint pain for a span of up to several months.

Physiotherapy or Physical Therapy

One of the preferred methods of pain management is the use of physical therapy to alleviate pain. Many health professionals will agree that chronic pain can be managed and relieved by merely stretching the muscles and joints that are affecting the area of pain. This method, by all means, is not the fastest way to go, but it is the most beneficial and long-lasting.

When a doctor is able to verify what is causing the pain they can make a decision based on what kinds of therapies may or may not work on that particular injury or condition.

Physical therapy will consist of exercises, stretches, or movements that will target the root of the cause of pain. For example, if there is an excess of lower back pain, the physical therapist may work on body stretches specifically for the lower back area, as well as core strengthening exercises.

In many cases, pain in the lower back is caused by weak muscles in the core that try to lean on the strength of the spine instead of the muscles that are supposed to be in effect for use.

Physical therapy might not work for all people that suffer from chronic pain, but many of the patients that commit to the exercises and stretches that a physical therapist will recommend see an improvement and free themselves from pain.

Pain Management in General

Since so many people suffer from pain it is difficult for doctors and other healthcare professionals to determine the best way to alleviate the pain based on a general description of the pain. A patient must appear in person and have a thorough examination in order to get the full story of what the pain is from, and how to address it.

A doctor may request blood tests, X-rays, MRIs and other exploratory means in order to properly diagnose the source of the pain.

If a person goes to the doctor complaining about chronic headaches, there are literally thousands of reasons why a person could suffer from headaches. Poor vision and bad teeth can cause headaches. So can pressure that is building up from within the brain. Headaches can be from harmless issues to deadly diseases. The only way to determine the cause of headaches is to run tests and find clues.

The Best Treatment for the Individual

In any event, no matter the cause of the pain, there is most likely a suitable solution that will match the needs of the patient. Whether it is the use of pharmaceuticals or a physical therapy routine that is designed to build muscle.

The right way to go about getting relief from pain is to take the steps necessary to learn where the pain is stemming from. Each person will have a completely different makeup than the next person. Factors such as age, sex, lifestyle, and health conditions will vary with each individual. One treatment may not be appropriate for the next person.

For one individual heavy pain medications such as Norcos are not a problem, but for the next person if they were to take a couple of those pills they might not be able to stop taking them because of an addiction.

Constant pain can be a horrible way to live. It is important for an individual that deals with chronic pain to find and work with a healthcare professional that is compassionate and careful about the needs of the people that they treat.

In most cases of chronic pain, there is a solution. It may be that the person needs surgery. In any event, under the care of a competent physician or therapist, a person that is struggling with nonstop pain has hope. The best way to go about pain management is to seek help from a worthy healthcare professional.