We have many different kinds of pain; big pain, little pain, headache pain, back pain, muscle pain. We all suffer from some type of pain at some time. You don't need to suffer broken bones or undergo a major operation to experience pain. For most of us, the everyday kinds of aches and pains are already too much for us to handle.
Causes
Those daily aches and pains can be caused by a number of things. From accidents to musculoskeletal disorders and improper lifting, anything and everything can lead to aches and pains. Aches and pains can also appear out of nowhere, with no obvious cause. When it comes to pain, it's a vicious cycle. Spasm and inflammation lead to more spasm and inflammation.
Acute pain can be caused by disease, inflammation, or injury to the tissues. This type of pain usually develops after trauma or surgery and can be accompanied by anxiety or emotional distress. The cause of acute pain can usually be diagnosed and treated. Acute pain is also limited to a certain period of time and severity, but in some rare instances, it may become chronic.
Chronic pain can be worsened by environmental and psychological factors. Chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain and resists most medical treatments.
Treatment
Residents in the United States rank among the highest in the use of over-the-counter pain relievers to help get rid of those daily aches and pains. Most people turn to the usual drugs like aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Over-the-counter pain medications have their own benefits and risks:
- Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) is used to relieve normal aches and pains like headaches, muscle aches and reducing fever. Acetaminophen does not reduce inflammation, but it is less irritating to the stomach and is safer for children. To avoid possible liver damage, do not take alcohol while using acetaminophen.
- Aspirin relieves pain, reduces fevers, and reduces inflammation due to injury or arthritis. However, prolonged aspirin use could result in a peptic ulcer and/or kidney disease. Aspirin is a blood thinner and should not be used by pregnant women, except under the supervision of your physician.
- Ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Motrin and Aleve) are anti-inflammatory drugs that provide pain relief, especially menstrual pain and are fever reducers. It can also be used to treat arthritis. Ibuprofen should be taken with meals and milk and should not be used with aspirin, alcohol or steroids.
-Topical pain relievers come in the roll on and spray formulas. These forms of pain relief are extremely popular because they are fast acting (applied directly to the source of the pain) and users experience little to no side effects. PAIN-enz is one such unique product that rolls on and rolls away pain. A key natural ingredient in PAIN-enz is Capsaicin. Capsaicin, a natural pain reliever, makes skin and joints insensitive to pain, according to new research, by breaking up and preventing pain messages from being sent to the brain.
Doctors caution that the overuse of pain medication can cause a new set of problems. They say most of our daily aches and pains resolve themselves.
Pain Relief Methods
Do you know what the number one reason for visiting a doctor is? P-A-I-N, that's right, pain. Chronic pain affects over 90 million Americans and costs an estimated $500 billion dollars a year.
The key to battling pain relief is to find the treatment that balances pain control with the fewest side effects.
Step one to treating chronic pain means taking a conservative approach:
- Over-the-counter pain medication: Early pain treatment also consists of over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and topical pain relievers. Topical pain relievers are extremely popular in the sports world, where quick acting pain relief is a must. Roll on and spray pain relievers are applied directly to the affected area. The number of side effects is greatly reduced when using a topical pain reliever because the medication is applied to the skin rather than ingested.
- Exercise programs: The first step to treating chronic pain is light exercise, like walking. Your body produces natural pain relievers called endorphins and exercise stimulates your endorphins. Exercise also promotes flexibility, strength, endurance, and helps reduce stress.
- Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: When your pain cannot be diminished by over-the-counter medication or other forms of at-home remedies, your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs will usually bring relief in 24 to 48 hours.
If all methods in step one do not relieve your pain, your doctor may move on to solutions that are more invasive and costly.
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