Doctors prescribe various painkillers in order to assist their patients who are dealing with pain that is unbearable when pain medication that is available without a prescription just doesn’t work. Often, the people who are prescribed pain medication have recently been in an accident, had surgery, or are dealing with a chronic and very painful disease.
Painkillers tend to mask the pain because it blocks the nerve receptors that are in the brain, which leaves the person taking the medication unable to feel their pain. Sadly, it is quite easy for the patient to start to have a dependence on these painkillers even when they are only used as prescribed. When the painkillers begin to diminish in their efficacy, people often begin to take them more and more frequently trying to get the same level of pain relief that they are used to. This can also lead to a dependency.
When It Becomes a Problem
When the painkillers stop working but a patient has developed a dependency on them, more problems can ensue. The addiction will need to be dealt with while another form of pain control will have to be found. The addiction can be treated at one of the rehab centers in Arizona or anywhere a treatment center can be found one close to the patient’s home. Sometimes treatment will be covered by insurance. Check with your insurance company to see if yours does.
Medical Marijuana
There have been a few studies on the medical benefits of marijuana. While these studies were not able to prove that medical marijuana had an improvement on things like appetite, vomiting, and nausea, it was found to be able to improve chronic pain. With that being said, many of the studies that were conducted lacked things like placebo groups and showed a risk of bias. This means that those studies were, in fact, inconclusive. Still, some states allow the use of medical marijuana now and there are some doctors who are prescribing it for pain.
Coping by Dealing with Stress and Emotions
When you are living with pain, it is a given that you are dealing with stress. Our minds and our bodies are connected. Stirred emotions, tension, and stress can actually aggravate pain. Try to find ways to deal with the stress that you have in your life. Deal with any emotions that are troubling you and you might find that your levels of pain will decrease. Try things like visualization, deep breathing, and other techniques for relaxation to try to keep your mind calm and your pain reduced.
Exercise
Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that work to improve your mood while they also block signals for pain. Exercise boosts the levels of endorphins. Another pain reducing effect that exercise can have is by strengthening the muscles. This will help to prevent being re–injured and having to deal with even more pain. Additionally, exercise can help to keep your weight controlled, as well as controlling glucose levels in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease, and more. Talk to your doctor to decide on an exercise regimen. Certain health conditions, such as diabetic neuropathy, mean that you will need to be extra careful when it comes to the kinds of activities you undertake.
Alcohol
Some people turn to alcohol for pain relief. While this might seem to dull the knife edge of pain for a little while, it can also make sleeping more difficult. This is on top of sleep already being hard because of the pain. If you suffer from chronic pain, drinking little to no alcohol can actually improve the quality of your life.
Support Groups
Sometimes, when you find out that there are other people who deal with the same things you deal with, it can make you feel less alone. You can also reap the benefits of hearing what they do to relieve their own pain. Additionally, you might think about seeing a mental health professional. Living with chronic pain leads a lot of people to depression. Getting some form of counseling can assist you with learning how to cope with things more effectively and help you to steer clear of those negative thoughts that can make your pain worse.