We Know: All About Pain Relief

What is pain?

Pain is a perception that differs from person to person that either warns you of something that's potentially wrong in your body or is a persistent hindrance on daily activity.

What are the different kinds of pain?

There are two different types of pain: acute and chronic.

Acute: This type of pain results from disease, inflammation or injury to tissues. It typically manifests itself as a sharp, stabbing pain and goes away after a given period of time.
Chronic: This type of pain is usually a sign of disease and persists over long periods of time, interferes with daily activities and can be resistant to treatment.

How are different kinds of pain treated?

When it comes to treating pain, your goal should be on pain management, meaning relieving the pain enough go about your daily activities. The following are just a few of the available methods of treatment.

Acupuncture: This form of traditional Chinese medicine involves the application of needles to certain points on the body and is believed to reduce pain.
Analgesics: A category of typically over the counter pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen that aid in reducing pain.
Exercise: Moving around in general can help reduce chronic pain by increasing blood flow to weak muscles that may be contributing to the problem. Specific activities that are especially beneficial include walking and swimming.
Relaxation: By calming the body and mind with deep breathing and the use of imagery, you can distract yourself from the pain and get through daily activities.
Chiropractic: Good for treatment of uncomplicated lower back pain. Chiropractors manipulate the spine with their hands and perform a type of massage that may help to relieve back problems.
Biofeedback: This is a special type of treatment that involves making the patient aware of bodily signs that signal pain, like heart rate, muscle tension and temperature and then teaching them how to control these functions.

What kinds of drugs are available for pain relief?

Some sample drug types include:

Nerve blocks employ the use of drugs, chemical agents, or surgical techniques to interrupt the relay of pain messages between specific areas of the body and the brain.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs including aspirin and ibuprofen) are widely prescribed and sometimes called non-narcotic or non-opioid analgesics. They work by reducing inflammatory responses in tissues. Many of these drugs irritate the stomach and for that reason are usually taken with food.
Opioids are derived from the poppy plant and are among the oldest drugs known to humankind. They include codeine and perhaps the most well-known narcotic of all, morphine. Morphine can be administered in a variety of forms, including a pump for patient self-administration. Opioids have a narcotic effect, that is, they induce sedation as well as pain relief, and some patients may become physically dependent upon them.