The Vicious Pain Cycle
The Vicious Pain Cycle
Copyright (c) 2010 Stephen Lau
Life is never pain-free. But pain not only ages, but also harms and debilitates the physical body. Worst, it may become chronic and recurrent, forming a vicious pain cycle.
As you are getting older, you will probably be experiencing some, if not more, physical pain. The main sources of pain are injury or damage to a body part, such as bones, ligaments, muscles, and skin, or to an internal organ, such as a disease or disorder. A complete cure of pain is probably unlikely, but comfort is critical to an individual experiencing acute or chronic pain.
Unfortunately, pain often produces a vicious pain cycle. To deal with recurrent pain, you need to be aware of how a vicious pain cycle is initiated.
Pain begins with the nerves. When pain occurs, it will send pain signals to the brain through the spinal cord and the entire expanse of nerves outside the spinal card. The brain interprets the signals, and sends out the perceptions of pain. Then you feel the physical impact of pain. Reactions and responses to pain may vary considerably from one individual to another. Your reaction to pain is dependent on the level of your pain tolerance, rather than on your pain threshold.
When pain attacks, your body releases different chemicals as a defense against the attack of pain. Afterwards, the nerves that carry the pain signals begin to repair. However, the repair process may not be complete in that the stress on the spot that originates the pain can also trigger pain elsewhere. The stress can cause the release of hormones, such as norepinephrine, to fight the pressure, causing fatigue and depression.
Depression intensifies the sensitivity to physical pain. In addition, depression may lead to decline of distracting activities that may alleviate the sensation of pain. Furthermore, reduction in distracting activities means reduced production of serotonin (a chemical that lifts mood). As a result, depression may further deepen. Chronic depression causes mental and physical fatigue, leading to poor sleep, which not only precipitates inactivity but also depletes endorphins, the body’s own opioid-like substances to suppress pain. This further intensifies the perceptions of pain.
To avoid more pain, the body tends to reduce its mobility, and immobility leads to muscle inflexibility and muscle strain, and thus spreading the pain.
To break the vicious pain cycle, we must prevent or alleviate, if not stop, the pain.
To prevent pain, exercise regularly to enhance muscle flexibility to avoid injury that causes pain in the first place. To alleviate pain, resist from taking painkillers, which treat only the symptoms without removing the causes. All drugs are toxic chemicals, which are acidic in nature and which have the potential to produce in the body more free radicals that perpetuate the pain. There are other alternative therapeutic options to treat pain, such as acupuncture, aromatherapy (using essential oils of herbs and medicinal plants), herbal therapy (using seeds, stems, flowers, roots, barks, and leaves of plants), which are as effective as pharmaceutical drugs.
The bottom line: Don’t let yourself form a vicious pain cycle.
Natural Pain Relief Remedies or Chemical-Based Pain Relievers? What to Consider
Natural Pain Relief Remedies or Chemical-Based Pain Relievers? What to Consider
To suffer from pain is one condition that all of us would rather avoid yet there are just times when we cannot choose to do so. This is especially true with pain that is a result of another health or medical condition such as arthritis. Good thing there are various kinds of pain relievers that we can now easily buy and use. We have the option of using either chemical and commercial pain relievers or natural pain relief remedies.
If you are looking for a good pain reliever for your suffering, then here are some points to consider:
1. Doctor’s Advice
The first thing that you should consider when in the search for proper pain medication is your doctor’s advice. It would be wise to consult with your doctor or with a trusted physician first before you decide to start any kind of pain medication either orally or topically. Consulting with your doctor not only assures safety but also the possibility of choosing the best type of relief for your kind of pain. Also, consulting with your doctor is a must when you are under another treatment or if you are pregnant.
2. Type of Pain
The type of pain can also be a good factor to consider when choosing pain medication or relief. There are some kinds of pain relievers which work best for certain pains as well a pain relievers which work best in a certain form (ointments, creams, tablets, etc.). With the usual muscle or joint pains, many prefer to use topical ointments compared to those taken orally.
3. Natural or Not?
Another big consideration is whether to take natural pain relief remedies or chemical-based ones. This is very important to many especially to those who would rather use products that are nearer their natural form. For instance, there are 100% natural pain remedies that are made from essential oils and which are not diluted. This kind of pain remedy is more effective than those which only contain a small percentage of the pain relief extract.
4. Possible Side Effects
It would also be wise to consider the possible side effects of certain pain relief or medications. Some people react harshly to chemical-based pain medication so the all-natural kind is preferred. Some side effects are also noticed when you use a kind of pain remedy that is not in its pure form. For this, most people would prefer an all-natural remedy that is made from essential oils that eliminate pain.
5. Price
In reality, price and budget are huge considerations especially if you foresee yourself needing pain relief regularly. While it is true that there are many kinds and brands of pain relief, there are those which are not affordable to most. It would be wise to choose an effective pain relief medication that can be sustained by your financial means. However, make sure that your priority would be efficiency and not just its monetary value especially if it would provide you the comfort you seek.
Tags: ChemicalBased, Consider, Natural, pain, Relief, Relievers, Remedies
