Treat Injuries Early On

You've heard of the motto “No Pain, No Gain.” It's usually seen in ads promoting gym fitness and the like. However, if you don't handle minor pains caused by your gym workouts, you might end up having damaged body parts more than the desired figure.

It is important that you treat your injuries early on to keep from further damaging the injured body part. When you encountered bumps, got bruised, sprained your ankles, or strained your muscles, take the RICE program within 48 hours:

• Rest: It doesn't only numb the pain, it also allows the injured body part to heal and recover.

• Ice: Applying an icepack to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours does not only numb the pain, but it also helps reduce inflammation and swelling.

• Compression: During the first 24 hours, put a bandage around the injured area to apply pressure. This will help reduce swelling and provide support to the injured joint. Make sure it is not too tight to avoid nerve damage.

• Elevation: Raise the injured leg above the hips when lying down, while a sling can be be used to raise an injured arm.

Author: Ramon Bravante

The Advent Of Pain Management

Patients suffering from chronic pain used to have very limited options when it comes to treatments of their condition. Recently however, advances in medical technology paved the way for the availability of more treatment options that respond to the many special needs of patients suffering from chronic pain.

Since most chronic pain cases have no known cure yet, the medical community created a new field of specialization called pain management which focuses on different ways to handle the condition. Pain specialists work hand in hand with physical therapists, nurses, and mental health professionals. Medical Consultation services are done real-time through our advanced medical portal which provides clients with electronic medical records and the technology to connect our members to our doctors instantly.

Since chronic pain has various causes, not one treatment works best for everyone. That is why pain specialists undergo advanced and extensive trainings in diagnosis and rehabilitation of the patients suffering from the condition. They are aware that pain may change over time. Chances are, treatments that proved effective in providing relief in the past may no longer work well or may even cause unusual side effects.

Author: Ramon Bravante

TENS Therapy For Pain Management

How does one deal with chronic pain? Aside from taking pain-killers, having a positive outlook in life greatly helps a person cope with chronic pain and manage a life of pain. Studies have shown that those who learn pain management skills were able to reduce the levels of pain they experience.

Pain management experts also offer complementary therapies that provide relief minus the risk of side effects. These include massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Therapy.

Among the complementary therapies mentioned, TENS seems to be the least discussed. It is a passive, non-invasive, and non-addictive treatment that helps to reduce perception of pain without any proven side effects. It comes in a portable, battery-operated unit that can be strapped around the waist. A physical therapist administers the electrode patches in the area to be treated. The painless electrical current runs from the portable stimulator through these patches. The generated heat helps to relieve pain, stiffness, and improve mobility. It is also said to stimulate endorphin production, the body's natural painkillers.

However, TENS is not recommended for patients with pacemaker as the electrical current may interfere with the pacemaker function. Medical Consultation is done real-time through our advanced medical portal which provides clients with electronic medical records and the technology to connect our members to our doctors instantly.

Author: Ramon Bravante

The Fuss About Painkillers

There's so much fuss about painkillers being labeled as dangerous drugs. Thanks to celebrities who have committed suicides due to prescription drug abuse that a lot of misinformation and myths have become widespread. The downside of it is that people who need to be treated with painkillers opt not to get the treatment for fear of getting addicted or worse, dying of accidental overdose.

However, experts believe that when taken as prescribed, painkillers are highly effective and beneficial. Many people pride themselves about toughing it out than to depend on pain medications. Refusing treatment despite severe pain not only put their health at risk, but uncontrolled pain can also affect their daily function, mood, sleep, energy level, ability to do their jobs, as well as marital relationships.

Recent studies actually show that persistent pain causes changes in the brain and spinal cord which results to more pain. On the other hand, people whose pain is controlled, those who take medications or surgery eventually have fewer complications, get out of the hospital faster and recover better.

Author: Ramon Bravante

Crowing About Chronic Pain

If you're suffering from chronic pain, you have so much to crow about. A life of chronic pain is not easy. It interferes with daily function such as walking, playing, working, or even the ability to take care of one's self. And once depression, anxiety, stress, and anger set in, these can make the pain even worse. These negative emotions can reduce the body's natural painkillers and may increase the body's sensitivity to pain.

The origins of chronic pain may be any of the following injury: sports injuries, back injuries, or car accidents. Or it could also be caused by health conditions such as migraines, diabetes, arthritis, shingles, and cancer.

However, there are cases when there is no obvious cause of the chronic pain, no trauma or injury people can point to as a source of their chronic pain problem. And this can be very frustrating for both patients and their doctors.

It’s a good thing that today’s pain specialists have effective treatments to provide pain relief. These advances have emerged in the past several years, as researchers have gained a greater understanding of chronic pain and how it develops.

Author: Ramon Bravante

Living Well Even If You Have Arthritis

At age 45, Allan developed arthritis and, as years went by, his body deteriorated so much that he had to go on early retirement. His condition was diagnosed by the doctor as rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of tissues around joints and other parts of the body. As a man, he took pride in being a hardworking professional. In the office, he was a “can-do” manager who always showed great enthusiasm in accomplishing high-pressure tasks. Allan was also known as an active sportsman who took physical fitness very seriously. Now, he had to contend with a disease that came like a “thief in the night.” He felt the arthritic pain when he turned 40 but made nothing out it. Somehow, he believed that his physical condition was still very good and that a slight pain need not stop him from doing his work. Of course, he was just being in a state of denial. He just could not believe how the disease could easily disrupt his once “blissful” existence.

Robbed out of his physical vitality, he had to give up his job and seek medication. The pain and disfigured bones were just too much for him to bear. The symptoms of the rheumatoid arthritis were just too severe for him to handle. For the first time in his life, he felt that he was no longer in control.

Like Allan, thousands if not millions of people are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. Nearly 40 million Americans are afflicted with arthritis and regularly visit the doctor to get arthritis pain relief. It is a disease that affects not only older men, but also women and children.

Gaining a better understanding of arthritis may help people to prepare and be informed about the proper management and control of this ailment. There are actually four types of arthritis, namely:

1. Rheumatoid arthritis- a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. It can develop systemic problems including inflammation of blood vessels and bumps which is also called rheumatoid nodules in various parts of the body. Women are more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis than men and about 80% are diagnosed between the ages of 35-50.

2. Inflammatory arthritis - a type of arthritis that is characterized by swelling and stiffening of the joints.

3. Degenerative arthritis - gradual deterioration of cells and organs along with loss of function

4. Miscellaneous arthritis

Despite the seemingly overwhelming effects of this disease, arthritis sufferers can manage their pain through rest, rehabilitation, and proper medication. Finding the perfect product for arthritis pain relief is important. There are a lot of over -the- counter pain relievers out in the market. Still, it is advisable to consult a doctor or pain therapist about choosing a drug remedy to arthritic pain.

Aside from taking medication, arthritis sufferers need to look out for other alternatives and supplemental treatment methods to manage the disease. Surely, living day-to-day with arthritic pain takes an enormous amount of courage and resilience. Your spirit may oftentimes be so close to the brink of being crushed because of the excruciating pain.

But there is always hope for you and others who desperately need arthritis pain relief. Getting arthritis pain relief is not an impossibility. Here are some suggestions that might help you manage or overcome the pain associated with this disease:

• Get moral support from your family, relatives, friends. You can also join a support group near your area where you can share your struggles with the disease with others who also suffer from arthritis. Members of a support group face almost exactly the same challenges that you face. They would be in the best position to understand or to empathize with what you are going through.

• Educate yourself. Read books, listen to audio tapes, or watch videos about arthritis and the various methods to control it. You can also browse the Internet to get more information about the treatment options available to arthritis patients.

• Try to keep busy. Regular exercise can help prevent arthritis or improve your over-all sense of well-being. Activities that require minimal physical exertion are best. But if you are still physically mobile, you can try cycling or taking short hikes. Going to a park or visiting nature sites can help promote serenity and strength as you undergo therapy or medication.

• Eliminate stress. Avoid situations and persons that contribute to your stress.

• Positive Thinking. Being optimistic does wonders to an arthritis patient or to anyone who is sick, for that matter. Combined with proper medication or other forms of therapy, a positive attitude will go a long way in improving your health. By being optimistic, you also make it easier on other family members who have to care for you in times when you are under intense arthritic pain.

Ultimately, getting arthritis pain relief is a combination of rest, proper medication, and the right attitude in life. Obtaining arthritis pain relief is not difficult especially if you are fully committed to restoring your health --- which is necessary to have a fulfilled, pain-free life.

Forgive and Forget – It Drives Muscle Pains Away

People who find it difficult to forgive and forget are more prone to muscle tension and high blood pressure. Unkown to many, simple as it may seem, refusal to forgive and forget the mistakes of others may cause serious health problems.
Experts say the load of not being able to forgive causes too much tension on the muscles. The tension transcends to pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back. Although musculoskeletal disorders are not fatal per se, they comprise one of the most common and costly health problems in Europe and North America today.
A recent investigation in the Nordic countries shows that the costs associated with musculoskeletal diseases including absenteeism, early retirement, medical treatment and rehabilitation account for between three and five percent of the gross national product. About 30 percent of these costs can be attributed to work-related factors.
Musculoskeletal disorders differ from many other major health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, in that symptoms often appear very early in life.
Attempts have been made to establish threshold limit values for static load like thresholds of 2-5% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) have been suggested for shoulder muscles. However, another study showed that there is no safe lower limit as even ry low levels of activation may contribute to the development of chronic pain syndromes.
Although it has been documented that physically monotonous or repetitive work is associated with an increase in shoulder and neck pain, more recent studies also report an association between psychosocial factors at the work place and musculoskeletal disorders.
Researches have established that musculoskeletal disorders seem to have a multifactorial etiology, where psychosocial factors and the physical environment interact with individual characteristics, behavior and life style.
But because lifestyles cannot be changed overnight and feelings like remorse, guilt and reproach are not easy to overcome, most people still have no other choice but to suffer the consequence – muscle tension, neck and back pain.
It is during these moments that Soma comes as a convenient solution. Taking Soma, a muscle relaxants can be helpful when severe muscle spasms follow the start of low back pain. This muscle relaxant can be ordered online at drugstoretm.com. and is delivered right at the patient’s doorstep. Getting one will not cause any more pressure.
As theories that stress and tension cause muscle pain, health experts advise everyone to try to contain feelings that causes them. One of their recommendations is to forgive and forget. Many people do cause us pain everyday and it is not easy to just throw the pain at the window pane.
Yet just as it has always been said to be divine, forgiving helps lower blood pressure and ease muscle tension so you can feel more relaxed.