pain management – Hello Doctor

3 Ways to treat pain without medication

October 24th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Pain isn’t pretty, but it is necessary. The World Health Organization defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”.

The purpose of pain is to warn your body to take action to prevent further tissue damage. How you feel and react to pain depends on what’s causing it.

Pain is felt when particular nerve endings detect tissue damage and are stimulated. This may come from damage to your tissues like when you’ve cut yourself, or from disruption to the nerves themselves. Pain can also happen for no known cause or long after an injury has healed.

Pain can be tricky to manage, especially when it’s chronic, or when there aren’t any clear, anatomical reasons for your pain. Neuroscientists are discovering that, apart from the actual injury, pain is also part of your brain: this is why someone who lost their leg can still feel pain in the foot (phantom pain), because the pain-message exists somewhere in the brain.

With all this mystery around chronic pain and ‘phantom pain’, what treatments-options exist outside of medication?

3 natural pain remedies

Peppermint is a popular flavouring in gum, toothpaste and tea – and with good reason. Menthol, its active ingredient, is one of nature’s most effective natural pain. When applied to the skin, it produces a cooling sensation, and can temporarily reduce minor levels of pain associated with athletic injuries, overuse or muscle pain. According to a study published in Mymensingh Medical Journal, peppermint can also help treat symptoms of IBS including abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhoea. Peppermint oil can be massaged on to aching muscles for instant relief. You can also add a few drops to your bath water and soak in, or sip a cup of peppermint tea.
Ginger is known for relieving nausea, but may also help ease inflammation and pain associated with headaches, menstrual cramps, and arthritis. Gingerols, the active ingredient in ginger, has a similar structure to capsaicin – the active ingredient in chilli peppers, which is a known pain reliever. Like capsaicin, gingerols act on specific receptors in the body, called vanilloid receptors, which sit on pain sensory nerve endings. Unlike capsaicin, which dulls pain receptors after initially causing pain, ginger can achieve the same effect but without the initial painful response. Ginger, fresh or dried, can be added to stir-fries, soups or made into a tea.
Devil’s claw is a desert plant grown in Southern Africa. It’s named for the miniature claw-like hooks that cover its fruit. For centuries, natives of the Kalahari Desert have dried and chopped up the roots of the plant to treat pain, indigestion and skin problems. Harpagoside, the active ingredient in devil’s claw, appears to reduce pain and inflammation in joints. In a study published in Phytomedicine, devil’s claw was found to improve pain, mobility, and flexibility in patients with lower back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. Find it as capsules, liquid extract, and dried root.

When to see a doctor:

If the pain lasts longer than reasonably expected. A small burn, for instance, shouldn’t cause pain longer than a month. If it does, see your doctor immediately.
If you develop other symptoms like fever, weakness, or loss of sensation along with the pain.
If the pain interferes with your quality of life.

References:

“Ouch! My toe!” What you need to know about Gout

October 14th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Gout is a kind of arthritis in which crystals of sodium urate produced by your body forms inside joints. You may suffer attacks of sudden burning pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint, and these attacks can happen over and over unless gout is treated. Left unattended over time, gout attacks can harm your joints, tendons, and other tissues. Gout is most common in men, and the joint usually affected is usually a big toe.

Causes

Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood. Having too much uric acid is not generally harmful, but when uric acid levels in the blood are too high, the uric acid may form hard crystals in your joints.

Medications which affect kidney function
Low-dose aspirin can raise your blood uric acid levels
Obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes and hyperlipidaemia (high blood fats)
Alcohol consumption
Joint injury, surgical stress, acute medical illness
Fad diets, fasting, and dehydration
Body temperature (gout tends to form in colder body parts)

Foods that are high in a substance called purines can raise the uric acid level in your blood – this includes seafood like sardines, mussels, anchovies, and salmon; organ meats like liver; and even some vegetables such as spinach. Eating just one of these foods or several of them together, can cause a gout flare.

Alcohol such as spirits and beer carry a double risk: they can raise the uric acid level in the blood and can make you dehydrated – both common gout triggers.

Symptoms

A common sign of gout is an attack of swelling, redness, tenderness, and sharp pain in your big toe at night, but you can also suffer a gout attack in your foot, ankle, or knee. The attacks can last a few days or many weeks before the pain goes away. Another attack may not happen for months or years.

If you are experiencing gout symptoms, see your doctor – even if you aren’t in pain right now. It’s important to discuss treatment and lifestyle changes as uric acid build-up can still harm your joints.

Tests & Examinations

For people with an acutely swollen, red, painful big toe, where it is often hard to obtain joint fluid, a diagnosis can be made by the presence of a high blood uric acid level, but the only certain way to diagnose gout is to have a joint fluid analysis (arthrocentesis) test to see whether uric acid crystals are present.

The following examinations and tests help to diagnose gout:

Medical history and physical examination
Test to measure levels of uric acid in urine
Test to measure levels of uric acid in blood

While X-rays of hands and feet can be useful in the late stages of the disease, X-rays are not usually helpful in the early diagnosis of gout. When gout is in a late stage nodules, or even worn away or eroded areas of bone near joints may be seen. The pain of gout often causes people to seek medical attention before any long-term changes can be seen on an X-ray. But X-rays may help to rule out other causes of arthritis.

Treatment

Initial treatment goals for gout are rapid pain relief and prevention of future gout attacks and long-term complications, such as joint destruction and kidney damage. Treatment includes medication and lifestyle changes to prevent future attacks.

To reduce the swelling, redness and pain of affected joints in a gout attack:

Rest the affected joint.
Take medication prescribed by your doctor.

Preventing recurrent attacks

Take a medicine that reduces uric acid levels in the blood, which reduces the risk of future attacks.

Take steps to reduce the risk of future attacks, such as controlling your weight, limiting your alcohol intake, as well as meat and seafood, and following a moderate exercise programme.

Sources: NHS, WebMD, Health.com

Work away the pain of arthritis

October 16th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

Exercise is probably the last thing on your mind when a flare up of arthritis hits, but a workout may do you the world of good. Staying active is one of the best ways to ease arthritis and joint pain. This doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon – even moderate bouts of exercise can help you manage and improve your condition.

Continue reading “Work away the pain of arthritis”

4 Hot tips to soothe those winter joints

May 17th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

You don’t need a weather report to know that winter’s coming – the twinge in that old knee injury already warns you. And you aren’t imagining it: research shows that a drop in temperature can lead to more aches and pains. Here are some practical ways to manage your discomfort this winter.

Food and drink make a difference

Warm drinks help keep your body warm, and keeping your body warm will help alleviate joint pain. Don’t go for too much caffeine, but opt for tea and a hearty winter-soup. To further strengthen your bones, and decrease your risk of osteoporosis. the Arthritis Foundation also recommends a diet rich in calcium. That doesn’t just mean milk – think salmon, yoghurt, broccoli or figs.

Keep your weight down

While it’s natural to want to eat more when it gets colder, excess weight puts pressure on joints already under strain. Shedding those extra kilo’s is especially important if you’re suffering from joint pain.

Flex those joints

It’s tempting to stay warm inside when the weather is cold and grey, but staying inactive can cause joint pain to flare up. You need regular movement to keep joints lubricated! Do stretches, indoor swimming, yoga – anything that you enjoy and can do daily. But listen to your body and don’t overdo it if you are hurting.

Take a warm bath

A hot bath can have real benefits, as long as you’re not also suffering from high blood pressure – if you are, stick to warm water. Add a handful of Epsom salts, which are rich in magnesium. This mineral is also important for bone and heart health.

The pain will pass

When weather-related pain strikes, it isn’t a permanent change and it will change when the weather lifts. Research is ongoing, but the discomfort is caused more by barometric pressure, than the actual cold. As soon as the pressure lightens, you should feel the pain reduce. Just keep warm, and do those gentle stretches

Source

http://www.communityhealthmagazine.com/family/seniors/article_9e3b276e-6e8c-11e4-b122-7baf4f3a73f6.html

What is inflammation?

July 2nd, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

Are you worried about a bite or scratch that’s red and feels warm? Do you have a painful, swollen joint from over-doing it in the gym?

Your body is amazing! The process you are witnessing is called inflammation – it’s a key part of your body’s defence system. Continue reading “What is inflammation?”