Causes Of Injury – Back Pain, Neck Pain, Knee Pain
November 9, 2010 by AMA
Filed under Pain Management
Do you get neck pain, lower back pain, or knee pain?
Treating the symptom or the painful area is usually not the answer!! Unless it was caused by an external impact on that part of the body, the cause is usually an issue within the body, either above or below the injured site.
But a new study should put rest to this controversy. Fibromyalgia is a real and debilitating illness. People who suffer from it often report pain all over their bodies and the exhaustion is like dragging yourself through treacle. I know, because I suffered with it for 10 years.
In this study researchers evaluated 20 women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy women without the condition. Researchers performed brain imaging called single photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT. They found women with the syndrome showed blood flow abnormalities in their brains. The abnormalities were directly correlated with the severity of disease symptoms and an increase in blood flow was found in the brain region known to discriminate pain intensity.
A similar study conducted several years ago had nearly identical results. In this study fibromyalgia patients underwent a brain scan known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while an instrument intermittently applied different levels of pressure to their thumbnail.
All participants received the same level of pressure but blood flow increased much more in the brains of fibromyalgia patients than those in the control group. Again, the increased blood flow occurred in areas of the brain known to be associated with pain and fibromyalgia patients reported pain at half the level of pressure that caused the same feelings of pain amongst the healthy group.
These studies reveal there must be something wrong with the way the central nervous system processes painful stimuli in people with fibromyalgia.
When we walk or run our foot will make contact with the ground; thereafter the movement throughout the body is a reaction from the foot hitting the ground. Therefore, if a dysfunction in the foot reduces the absorption of shock and impact when the foot hits the ground, the knee, back and neck will undoubtedly be effected, potentially leading to wear and tear and pain and discomfort over time.
Over 90% of the population will get knee, back or neck pain reducing their ability to function during some stage of their lives. If we want to live a life with less pain and more fun and enjoyment, we need to make sure the areas of the body that are the bullies function the best they can, minimizing the stress on the bullied areas. By having a thorough functional assessment by a Synergy Personal Trainer, you can identify the bullies in your own body and get advice of the best stretches and exercise techniques to incorporate into your own training to help reduce the potential for pain and dysfunction.
Are you or is anyone you know in pain? Has anyone looked at the biomechanics above or below the injured area? Potentially you shouldn’t have to be in pain at all
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Goals Of Pain Management
August 23, 2010 by AMA
Filed under Pain Management
Discomfort, sometimes known as the 5th essential sign, is unquestionably the oldest affliction of mankind. We all experience discomfort each day of our lives to one degree or one more. It may be a headache, a stubbed toe, a hangnail or a paper cut, but we all experience pain.
As the oldest affliction of mankind, it follows that pain is also the oldest medical issue.
Discomfort has a really long history of misinterpretation and misconception. Discomfort was once regarded as required towards the healing process. Only within the last 400 years, beginning with the great 17th century philosopher, mathematician and physiologist Rene Descartes, has any legitimate inquiry into the etiology and mechanism of discomfort occurred.
Descartes first suggested the possibility of a link regarding the sensation of discomfort and also the brain. These days, everybody knows that the mind processes discomfort sensations, but 400 years ago, it was a breakthrough! The mind-body connection Descartes made would lead to tremendous progress in the reduction of suffering because of discomfort. The concept of nerves carrying information to the mind for processing was revolutionary. Descartes’ hypothesis was borne out by anatomical studies conducted during the 19th century and has endured until fairly recently.
Within the 1960’s, the notion of a hard-wired system was challenged. The view now held by neuroscientists is that sensory info undergoes the integration of info from a variety of sources. The strength of the pain signal is modified by emotional and behavioral info coming back from the brain. In short, a two way rather than one-way street. Perhaps this explains the differences in pain thresholds among patients.
Moreover, biologists now believe the integration of this sensory information might actually occur within the spinal cord, not in the mind, prior to being carried up to the mind for further processing.
Almost all these findings have given rise to new ways to pain management. Discomfort management is one aspect of the general healthcare specialty known as palliative care.
Within the United States, palliative care is defined as reducing the symptoms of disease. It’s not dependent on prognosis and is carried out in parallel with curative medical treatment.
Hospice care is defined as the delivery of palliative care to those at the end of life.
Both share similar goals and principals, most of which are listed here.
Keep your affected individual active physically and positive mentally, so that you can maintain the patient’s relationships and work skills
Ensure the affected individual plays an active role in his/her ongoing discomfort management
Establish an alliance using the patient’s family in long term care and self-management
Begin discomfort management early. Aggressive management of acute discomfort may mitigate its progress to chronic discomfort
Establish realistic objectives and expected results with the affected individual
Carefully evaluate and investigate failed treatments prior to changing therapies or dosages
Do not fail to manage medication side effects for example constipation and nausea
Schedule reviews to go over and monitor treatment outcomes to ensure that pain management strategies can be changed as required
Remember, discomfort is really a subjective encounter. It’s what patients say it is. Be sure you comprehend the etiology (cause) from the pain. It’s great practice to sustain a discomfort background using standardized and quantifiable plan assessments. Finally, it’s important to maintain focus on patient comfort. This is, after all, the goal of discomfort management.
Winston P. McDonald enjoys writing for Uniformhaven.com which sells cherokee scrubs, baby phat scrubs and urbane scrubs as well as a host of additional products.
