With so much attention focused on the dangers of opioid painkillers, it’s easy to forget that even “safe” over-the-counter products carry some dangers.
If you don’t think twice about reaching for a pill to relieve aches and pains, especially medicines called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, you need to know about the wide-ranging cautions surrounding their use, especially if you take them on a regular basis and over a long period of time.
NSAIDs can also increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, even within just the first few weeks of using one, and the risk can rise over time. Your risk for heart issues is greater if you have high blood pressure or heart disease or recently had a heart attack or bypass surgery. Aspirin is the one NSAID this warning doesn’t apply to. However, NSAIDs, including aspirin, can damage the stomach lining and cause gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding and ulcers.
Are also taking blood-thinners, steroids or certain other medications
If you’re considering acetaminophen, commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, as an alternative to NSAIDs, know that acetaminophen can also cause severe liver damage, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Like NSAIDs, it’s also in hundreds of other products, so as with all drugs, read medication ingredient labels to avoid taking too much of the same active ingredient and potentially overdosing.
In general, always take the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time possible, and only after talking to your doctor if you already have high blood pressure or any other chronic condition.
Methadone is often used in the fight against opioid addiction, but long travel times in rural areas may be hampering efforts to get more people treated, a new study finds.
If methadone for opioid addiction was available in primary care clinics, more people would have better access to treatment, researchers suggest.
In the United States, methadone is only available at clinics certified by the federal government as Opioid Treatment Programs, or OTPs. This restriction, along with state and local laws, limits the number of clinics that offer methadone for opioid addiction.
For the study, researchers looked at drive times to OTPs in rural and urban counties in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. These states are among those hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.
Drive time is important because methadone treatment requires six visits a week to an OTP, the study authors noted.
Except in the largest cities, average drive times to OTPs were longer than to other clinics, the study found.
The average drive time to a methadone clinic was 37 minutes, compared with 16 minutes to other medical clinics and 15 minutes to kidney dialysis centers. In rural areas, the drive time can be close to two hours, the researchers found.
“This study makes clear how poorly accessible methadone is for rural communities harmed by the opioid epidemic,” study author Dr. Paul Joudrey, a post-doctoral fellow at Yale University, said in a university news release.
Joudrey noted that another drug, buprenorphine, is used in primary care settings to treat opioid addiction, but it doesn’t help everyone. Addiction experts recommend that methadone should be available in all communities to improve health and reduce death among people who are addicted to opioids.
The report was published Oct. 1 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
One of the most common complaints Chronicillness.co Site of United States sees amongst dancers knee pain following an injury. Dancers are hyper-mobile, meaning the joints move in a larger range of motion than normal. Typically, this is desirable for dancers, however, it can cause other body parts to control movements and lead to painful problems. Knee pain is common because dancers are usually back on their feet and performing at high levels following an injury.
At Chronicillness.co Site of United States, our team of board-certified pain specialists helps patients overcome chronic pain every day. With the most advanced treatments and management strategies available, Chronicillness.co Site is the leading pain relief facility in the entire state of the United States. If you or someone you know suffers from knee or thigh pain as a result of a dancing injury, contact Chronicillness.co Site today for a full evaluation.
The knee commonly referred to as the hinge joint, is the largest joint in the human body, responsible for supporting bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. The knees can bear weight up to four times of a person’s body and are consistently bending, moving, and moving to keep us mobile. For dancers, proper and capable knee function is imperative. If you have suffered an injury from dancing or need to prevent an injury from occurring, please review these 5 common dancing injuries that lead to chronic pain complications if left undertreated.
Adolescent Anterior Knee Pain. The patella, kneecap, is a common place for healthy young athletes to endure pain—especially females. Excessive stress to the knee is common in dancers who are required to train hard. Dancers often go through early growth spurts, which decreases flexibility. Bones grow more rapidly than muscles during this time putting more stress on the kneecap.
Hyperextension.Locking the knee joint or using extreme flexibility to the knee joint often places excess stress on the knee joint and lower leg.
Patellar Misalignment. When the patella slips out of its place, it will generally relocate back. When this happens repeatedly, it can be very painful in the future and lead to dislocation and inflammation.
Meniscus Tears. The “C” shaped cartilage of the knee joint helps protect the femur and tibia from grinding against one another. Landing a high jump, twisting a knee, or other dancing injuries can cause a tear in the meniscus. Range of motion, walking, and gait are affected when this injury occurs.
Osteoarthritis. Inflammation and degeneration of cartilage within the bones of the knee joint cause osteoarthritis. Pain, swelling, and stiffness often result, in limiting capable activities and dance abilities if untreated.
We’ve all had back pain from time to time. Maybe we lifted luggage that was too heavy, held a baby for too long or carried a backpack overloaded with books.
Some aches and pain here and there are normal—ones that tend to go away after you rest or exercise. But millions of Americans have ongoing back pain. It’s the leading cause of disability in people younger than 45, and many factors can cause it.
You shouldn’t be in severe and significant pain for a long time. So, how do you know if your back pain is serious? Read on to find out more.
Here are a few signs that your back pain shouldn’t be taken lightly.
1. You fell. Consider if you’ve had a serious trauma, such as you fell from a height or had a car accident. Even if you’ve had a minor trauma and are over 50, your health care professional will want to talk to you and examine your back pain. When you’re older, falling down even a few steps can cause a fracture. If there is no fracture, you may be told to manage your pain with medicine and physical therapy.
2. You have an ongoing fever. A fever that isn’t responsive to medicine and is accompanied by back pain could be a sign of a serious infection. If it’s an infection, you may be prescribed antibiotics. You may be told to rest and then resume your daily activities once you feel better.
3. You have tingling or numbness. Here, you have a pins-and-needles feeling in your back that won’t go away. It usually means that you have nerve damage or irritation, making it more significant than your typical back pain. You can experience permanent disabilities if you leave this condition untreated. Your health care professional can evaluate you and may order tests to get images of your spine. Treatment depends on your diagnosis.
Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common fractures in people with osteoporosis, a silent condition that weakens your bones and makes them more susceptible to fractures. VCFs affect about 750,000 people annually, says the National Osteoporosis Foundation. And they affect about one-quarter of postmenopausal women in the United States. The risk of this condition increases with age; about 40 percent of women age 80 and older are affected.
VCFs happen when the bony block or vertebral body in the spine collapses. That can lead to severe pain, deformity and height loss. These fractures happen more commonly in the middle portion of the spine.
Most of the time, a VCF happens without an injury or pain. It can be caused by something as insignificant as a sneeze. One of the first signs of VCF is height loss. Think about whether your adult children seem taller. Do you need to hem pants you’ve worn for years? Are you suddenly unable to reach a shelf? These signs may mean you’ve experienced VCF.
VCFs can be very painful. People who’ve had one VCF are at five times greater risk of having a second one. Risk for death goes up to more than 50 percent a year after a vertebral fracture.
Each broken vertebra raises the risk for another since it changes how weight is balanced on the spine. You’ll experience pain in your back and chest as these muscles have to work more to hold you upright. It gets more difficult to walk. You develop stomach troubles and difficulty breathing. If you do nothing, you may experience disability.
When a fracture leads to a vertebral body collapse of more than 50 percent, there is a risk of segmental instability. Because spinal segments work together, when one segment deteriorates or collapses, it can produce pain and impair daily activities. The instability eventually leads to a quicker degeneration of the spine in the affected area.
Here, the front of the vertebrae will collapse and “wedge” because of a lack of normal vertebral space. Kyphosis leads to a more rounded thoracic spine, which may be referred to as hunchback or dowager’s hump.
If the fracture causes part of the vertebral body to place pressure on the spinal cord, the nerves and spinal cord can be affected. The normal space between the spinal cord and beginning of the spinal canal can be decreased if pieces of the broken vertebral body push into the spinal canal.
The narrowing of the spinal canal due to a VCF can injure the spinal nerves or cause problems later from nerve irritation. The lack of space can also lower the blood and oxygen supply to the spinal cord. This can lead to numbness and pain in the affected nerves. The nerves may lose some of their mobility when the space around them decreases, which can lead to nerve irritation and inflammation. Back pain isn’t par for the course as you get older. If you experience any back pain, make sure to speak with a health care professional about your symptoms.
Fibromyalgia patients know that there are many different kinds of medications available to treat fibro symptoms, medications that range from pain medicines to sleeping pills to antidepressants. While some ease pain, others boost mood and improve sleep. Working with a pain management specialist like those at Chronicillness.co Site of the United States can help patients find the right fibromyalgia medication to add to their treatment regimen. That way, symptoms can be managed more effectively.
Initially, antidepressants are used to treat fibro, and they help relieve pain, fatigue, and sleep problems. In addition, antidepressants help depression, which is commonly seen in people with fibromyalgia. Older antidepressants, called tricyclics, have been used for many years to treat fibromyalgia. The tricyclic antidepressants, including Elavil (amitriptyline) and Pamelor (nortriptyline), work by raising the levels of chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain.
Tricyclic antidepressants increase levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. People with chronic pain often have decreased levels of these calming neurotransmitters. Tricyclics can relax painful muscles and heighten the effects of endorphins—the body’s natural painkillers. While these medications are often very effective, the side effects can sometimes make them difficult to take as they may cause drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, dry eyes, and constipation.
There are several different types of antidepressants and several of them have been shown to help relieve the pain, fatigue, and sleep problems in people with fibromyalgia.
The most well-studied antidepressants for fibromyalgia include Cymbalta (duloxetine), Savella (milnacipran), and Effexor (venlafaxine). Cymbalta and Savella are specifically FDA-approved to treat fibromyalgia. There is less medical research to show that Effexor helps fibromyalgia. Other antidepressants that have also been studied for fibromyalgia and may help include Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), and Celexa (citalopram).
Different antidepressants work differently in the body. In addition, what works for one person with fibromyalgia may not work for someone else. That’s why people with fibromyalgia may have to try more than one antidepressant to find the one that best relieves the pain, fatigue, and sleep difficulties associated with the condition.
Different types of pain relievers are sometimes recommended to ease the deep muscle pain and trigger-point pain that comes with fibromyalgia. The problem is these pain relievers don’t work the same for everyone with fibromyalgia.
The over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen elevates the pain threshold so you perceive less pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), when taken alone, don’t typically work that well for fibromyalgia. However, when combined with other fibromyalgia medicines, NSAIDs often do help. NSAIDs are available over the counter and include drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
Be careful taking aspirin or other NSAIDs if you have stomach problems. These medications can lead to heartburn, nausea or vomiting, stomach ulcers, and stomach bleeding. This risk of serious bleeding is even higher in people over the age of 60. Don’t take over-the-counter NSAIDs for more than 10 days without checking with your doctor. Taking them for a prolonged period increases the chance of serious side effects. Aspirin and other NSAIDs can cause or worsen stomach ulcers. If you’ve had ulcers or any kind of stomach or intestinal bleeding, talk to your doctor before taking NSAIDs.
Acetaminophen is relatively free of side effects, but patients who have liver disease should avoid it. Also, make sure to not take more than recommended as that greatly increases the risk of side effects, including liver damage.
The muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine has proved useful for the treatment of fibromyalgia. It’s often prescribed to help ease muscle tension and improve sleep. Muscle relaxants work in the brain to relax muscles.
With muscle relaxants, patients may experience dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, clumsiness, unsteadiness, and a change in the color of urine. These medications may increase the likelihood of seizures. Older adults sometimes experience confusion and hallucinations when taking them.
The development of the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine greatly revolutionized the treatment of chronic pain—specifically low back pain. Usually, an MRI scan is administered to confirm what physicians believe to be the reason for a patient’s pain. It can also be used for surgical planning such as a spinal fusion. An MRI scan can be a crucial part of planning chronic pain treatment, however, it is not always necessary.
At Chronicillness.co Site of United States, our team of board-certified pain specialists use only the safest and most effective tools to diagnose and manage pain. With 15 locations in the United States, Chronicillness.co Site is the best pain management facility in the entire state. We provide care to suffering pain patients across the state, giving rural communities a resource for any of their pain concerns.
MRI scans can be useful for a number of reasons other than surgical planning, including:
– To rule out potential complications i.e. infection or tumor
– To distinguish a recurrent disc herniation and scar tissue for patients who recently underwent surgery
– To determine if a tumor or infection is present before administering an epidural steroid injection
The MRI scanning works by using a rotating magnet around the patient. The magnet promotes the activity of hydrogen atoms in the body, which cause the atoms to emit radiation as they settle into their normal activity level. The MRI scanner picks up the radiation and is able to distinguish between tissues in the body such as fat, discs, fluid, bone, cartilage, and nerve roots.
If you suffer from leg pain or lower back pain, an MRI scan could be useful to your treatment plan. The following indications could prompt your Pain Center physician to administer an MRI:
– Leg pain that lasts longer than 4 to 6 weeks, warranting surgery
– Low back pain that lasts longer than 3 to 6 months, warranting surgery
– Back pain causes loss of appetite, weight loss, pain while resting, fever, and other symptoms that indicate a tumor or infection is present
– Back pain that is persistent for 4 to 6 weeks following back surgery
If you or someone you love suffers from any chronic pain condition, contact the specialists at Chronicillness.co Site for the best care.
The radial nerve is a key part of arm functioning. It is in the underside of the arm and is responsible for movement in the triceps as well as the extension of the wrist and hand. When this nerve is damaged, it is called radial neuropathy or radial nerve palsy.
Radial nerve injury can be caused by severe impact, or even quite mundane situations. Fractures of the humerus, impact to the arm, or harsh compression of the wrist are all possible collision causes of radial nerve damage. Some other ways the radial nerve can be impaired are sleeping with the upper arm in an unusual position, using crutches, or even a condition called “Saturday Night Palsy”, caused by consuming alcohol and falling asleep with pressure on an arm over the back of a chair.
There are a number of different symptoms associated with an injury to the radial nerve. In most cases, some instances of symptoms appear in the back of the hand, and in each of the fingers. The symptoms include acute pain, numbness, tingling, burning, inability to straighten or move hand and wrist, or weakness.
Here at Chronicillness.co Site of United States, we would diagnose radial neuropathy by comparing the injured arm with the healthy arm. We would check the range of motion, weakness, loss of muscle, and wrist drop. In some cases, Electromyography may be implemented. An EMG quantifies electrical activity in your muscles. This reveals if the issue is muscle or nerve related.
Treatments for radial nerve damage include pain medication, steroid injections, anesthetic creams, splints, therapy to strengthen necessary muscles, and acupuncture. In the majority of radial neuropathy, patients tend to recover within 90 days. In some cases, surgery is necessary to free up the nerve from pressure.
When you’re in pain, you have one thing on your mind – please make it stop. Luckily there are many pain management options out there, some work faster than others, and some even have an immediate effect. And while opioids can serve an important function, my advice for patients is to try a non-medication approach first. The following pain-relief tips are sustainable and most importantly they’re often times effective for many types of pain conditions when combined with a comprehensive treatment plan.
Being active is great for your health as seen in many studies. It can help strengthen muscles and extend your life, when combined with a comprehensive pain management routine. Any physical activity should first be discussed with your doctor, and be adjusted based on your ability to tolerate your symptoms and function; however, there are plenty of low-impact exercises that can have a positive impact on your pain. Walking is one of them. It can be done anytime and almost anywhere, and the simple act of moving can work wonders on relieving certain symptoms, especially chronic back pain. Some ideas on how to incorporate walking into your daily routine could include: take your dog for a quick stroll first thing in the morning when you may be feeling especially stiff, choose the farthest parking space, use the office restroom or the walking route that’s out of your way at work.
Massage is a popular pain-relief option due to its many pain-relieving benefits; however, making an appointment at the spa can be prohibitive due to time and cost. So if you are one of the many individuals whose day is filled with work, errands and other responsibilities, a handheld at-home massager can be a much needed relief. For example, the Wahl Deep Tissue Massager is one of the most powerful massagers currently available. It offers customized relief through a combination of interchangeable heads and variable intensity control.
One of the biggest advantages of incorporating at-home massage into a comprehensive pain-management regimen is convenience and the fact that it provides relief fast. Massage relieves muscle tension by enhancing blood flow, which causes muscles to relax. It also decreases inflammation by activating genes that can naturally reduce swelling, it reduces pain intensity by diminishing bodily substances that create and prolong pain and it improves recovery by stimulating mitochondria, the “energy packs” driving cellular function and repair.
Water can be an easy way to stem pain at the source. Keeping water nearby and making sure you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses daily can make all the difference when trying to combat pain. In general, your body needs water to work properly, to lubricate and cushion your joints, to protect your tissues, to keep your temperature normal and to get rid of wastes. A lack of water can lead to dehydration and drain your energy even further, leading to exhaustion and more painful symptoms. Water is a key element in keeping balance in your body and overall health.
I already covered the miraculous effect water can have on your body from the inside, but it has soothing powers from the outside too. Depending on the source or your chronic pain, a warm bath can offer respite from your discomfort. Being submerged in water reduces the stress of body weight and gives all-over support, easing pressure on your joints. What’s more, the warm and even temperature stimulates blood flow throughout your body helping to loosen stiff, painful muscles.
Every time Jaime Sanders visits an urgent care clinic, she makes sure she brings the three-ring binder that details her comprehensive medical care plan, including lists of medications, allergies and records of past doctors’ visits.
Sanders knows she’s never guaranteed to find doctors who will take her migraine pain seriously and carries the binder as proof of her diagnosis. Still, Sanders remembers how one doctor she saw regularly groaned and said, “Oh, it’s the binder,” when she saw Sanders. The doctor followed by asking if Sanders was doing everything she could for her migraine pain.
“These situations keep me from wanting to seek the treatment I need,” Sanders said. “It’s traumatizing, and who wants to keep being retraumatized? Sometimes I feel like turning around and just going home. It seems like it offends some people that I know so much about my illness.”
An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain daily or almost daily, according to a 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, and 19.6 million experience high-impact chronic pain. The study found that women, older adults, adults living in poverty and adults without health insurance were more likely to have from chronic pain, but race was not directly associated with chronic pain prevalence.
It’s possible, however, that Black women’s pain is underdiagnosed. A New York University study examining bias in pain management found that white health care professionals were less likely to perceive pain on the faces of Black patients compared to white patients, which contributed to different treatment decisions.
In an Association of American Medical Colleges editorial, Dr. Janice Sabin highlighted research where significant percentages of white medical students believed Black patients had thicker skin or less sensitive nerve endings, making them less likely to suffer from pain. Another study she cited found that white pediatricians were less likely to prescribe pain medication for a Black teenager after surgery than a white teenager.
Even a CDC paper issuing guidance on prescribing opioids for chronic pain noted that members of racial and ethnic minority groups could be at risk for inadequate pain treatment.
Sanders, who is Black, has been blogging at The Migraine Diva about her chronic pain due to migraine, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety since 2011. She has a family history of migraine headaches and received her diagnosis at the age of eight. She received compassionate care as a child, but as an adult she’s faced microaggressions in health care facilities, from the mocking of her health binder to being refused a doctor-prescribed treatment from another doctor who told her it was unsafe — despite research showing otherwise. Sanders remembered the latter doctor telling her he was able to manage his own migraine headaches, and that 90% of his patients were able to control their headaches with lifestyle changes.
“It’s like he was blaming me for my pain,” said Sanders. “I worry about so many layers to my health care — how I speak, how I dress when I arrive at the doctor’s office — it’s exhausting and mentally draining.”
Tiffani Stokley suffered from joint pain and headaches for 10 years before being diagnosed with lupus in 2006. The path to her diagnosis wasn’t direct — she said doctors failed to dig deeper into the issues causing her pain until a blood test finally provided clues that led to the lupus diagnosis. Black women are three times more likely than white women to develop lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body, and as many as one in 250 Black women will be diagnosed with lupus.
Applying the biopsychosocial model of disease developed by George Engel in the 1970s could help improve outcomes for Black women experiencing chronic pain. This model encourages doctors to look at a continuum of biological, psychological and social factors that could affect a patient’s health, instead of focusing on the pain alone. One’s mental health or work environment could exacerbate physical pain, for example, and, under this model, a health care professional would look at every factor in a particular woman’s life to address and treat the pain.
Earlier this year, Stokley experienced yet another dismissal of her pain. She went to the emergency room after having complications from a kidney stone removal procedure and, during recovery, an emergency room nurse questioned her need for pain medication. Eventually, an attending doctor noticed the pain on Stokley’s face and got her the medication she needed.
“Some instances, I feel like I’m dismissed because I’m a woman, and a Black woman in particular, or it can just be a lack of compassion that doctor or nurse has in general,” Stokley said. “You don’t know sometimes how to get them to take you seriously. I’ve seen people be really dramatic and not be heard, but even if you speak to the doctor in a reasonable way, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll pay attention either.”
Stokley’s observation echoes Sanders’ point about the fine line Black women walk when trying to manage their pain. When Sanders began blogging, she hoped to create a support system and talk with others about her life as a wife and mother of three children, managing a household while dealing with chronic pain. She later began receiving invitations to speak on health panels, launching her into her current role as a patient advocate.
“This gave my pain a purpose, and I found empowerment from that,” Sanders said. “It allowed me to come to terms with my pain and recognize that it doesn’t define me.”
Coping with chronic pain can be difficult. You have to alter practically all facets of your life to cater to your treatment needs. The spring season is quickly approaching, pushing a lot of us to clean out hoarded closets and re-organize messy rooms, while simultaneously making sure our pain is managed.
At Chronicillness.co Site of United States, our providers know the burden that household chores can put on people living with chronic pain. Whether you have neuropathy, fibromyalgia, or back pain, spring cleaning can be a pain. We encourage people to seek medical advice from professionals at any of Chronicillness.co Site locations and get back into life, today!
Laundry and housecleaning are inevitable parts of human life. People who have pain from strenuous movement and heavy lifting should follow the following tips while cleaning laundry:
Avoid heavy lifting. Separate your clothes into different piles to prevent strenuous pressure on your back. When bending, use your knees and your feet; not your back!
Avoid twisting. Some household laundry rooms have cabinets above their washers and dryers. Use a step stool when reaching for the detergent or fabric softener. If you are required to reach for something low, kneel down slowly.
You will likely have to transfer your laundry from the dryer into the bedroom. Chances are, some of that laundry will include bed sheets, which poses another hurdle for pain sufferers. Take a look over these tips for making the bed using proper pain management techniques:
Wear loose clothing, giving your arms room to stretch.
Do not lean across the bed to tuck in the corners. Instead, rest on your knees on the bed in the area where you need to tuck the sheets.
When tucking in the sheeting, keep your back straight. Avoid twisting and turning.
Spring cleaning requires a lot of work. Don’t be afraid to ask a loved one or friend for help during your chores. For more information on cleaning tips to avoid pain, contact a Pain Care physician, today! Keep an eye out for more tips to avoid pain while spring cleaning.
