Pain and Activity: Use It or Lose It
February 14, 2008
The human body is meant to move. Yet a person who experiences intense, persistent pain will probably move less and less over time. He or she is also likely to develop a number of “pain behaviors” such lying down for long periods, using unusual postures to brace against the pain, or favoring one side of the body over another when moving. After a while, these pain behaviors take on a life of their own and actually add to the pain.
Long periods of immobility disrupt the body’s pain sensing mechanisms because pain perception relies on feedback from normal muscle activity, particularly the larger muscle groups of the body. Avoidance of activity under stimulates the large sensory nerves and results in more pain when movement is resumed. The habitual use of unusual postures results in secondary pain in other areas of the body as certain muscle groups go into chronic spasm while other muscle groups atrophy from lack of use. So, rather than decreasing pain by avoiding certain patterns of movement, a person is actually increasing his or her pain as well as creating new pain. there’s more to this »
Posted by Michele Gargan, PsyD at 10:15am
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The Use and Abuse of Pain Medications
February 13, 2008
One of life’s most conflicted relationships is the one between a pain patient and his or her medication. Issues of reliability, dependence, and the compromise of side effects dominate the decision to take medication. Most pain patients consider medication to be a necessary evil, with a trade off between excruciating pain on one hand and alertness, mental clarity, and smooth gastrointestinal functioning on the other.
In addition to the unpleasant side effects of most pain medication, there is the social stigma of taking addicting substances. Often family and friends are opposed to the patient’s use of narcotic medication for fear that the person will become a drug addict. Medications like OxyContin, morphine, and methadone have often been in the news, and their very names conjure up images of down-and-out street drug users. Therefore, it is very important to understand the distinction between physical dependence and psychological addiction if you are to make an informed decision about taking pain medication. there’s more to this »
Posted by Michele Gargan, PsyD at 4:10pm
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Integrative Medicine
February 12, 2008
A recent article in U.S. News & World Report (January 21, 2008) entitled “Alternative Medicine Goes Mainstream” outlines a number of therapies that used to be outside the realm of medical treatment but are now being recognized and used as adjunct treatments at major medical centers. These techniques have been termed “alternative medicine,” suggesting an either-or approach to treatment. More recently, however, the therapies that have been seen as an alternative to conventional, evidence based medicine are being incorporated into a “whole person” approach to treatment. “Alternative” medicine is now being seen as “complementary” and “integrative” medicine. there’s more to this »
Posted by Michele Gargan, PsyD at 10:03am
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