Non-Drug Pain Management: MedlinePlus

What is agony?

Agony is a signal in your nervous method that a thing may perhaps be wrong. It is an unpleasant emotion, these as a prick, tingle, sting, burn off, or ache. Agony may perhaps be sharp or uninteresting. It may perhaps arrive and go, or it may perhaps be consistent. You may perhaps experience agony in one particular region of your body, these as your back again, stomach, chest, pelvis, or you may perhaps experience agony all in excess of.

There are two forms of agony:

  • Acute agony ordinarily will come on suddenly, simply because of a disease, damage, or irritation. It can frequently be diagnosed and taken care of. It ordinarily goes absent, though occasionally it can change into serious agony.
  • Continual agony lasts for a lengthy time, and can induce severe difficulties

What are agony relievers?

Agony relievers are medicines that minimize or relieve agony. There are lots of diverse agony medicines, and each one particular has pros and challenges. Some are in excess of-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Other people are much better medicines, which are available by prescription. The most impressive prescription agony relievers are opioids. They are really effective, but individuals who just take them are at possibility of dependancy and overdose.

Due to the fact of the aspect effects and challenges of agony relievers, you may perhaps want to try out non-drug therapies 1st. And if you do require to just take medicines, also accomplishing some non-drug therapies may perhaps permit you to just take a reduced dose.

What are some non-drug therapies for agony?

There are lots of non-drug therapies that can assistance with agony. It is critical to check out with your wellness treatment company right before hoping any of them:

  • Acupuncture involves stimulating acupuncture details. These are distinct details on your body. There are diverse acupuncture techniques. The most typical one particular involves inserting slender needles by way of the skin. Other people contain employing tension, electrical stimulation, and heat. Acupuncture is based mostly on the perception that qi (critical energy) flows by way of the body alongside paths, referred to as meridians. Practitioners imagine that stimulating the acupuncture details can rebalance the qi. Exploration implies that acupuncture can assistance deal with specified agony disorders.
  • Biofeedback approaches use digital units to evaluate body features these as breathing and heart price. This teaches you to be extra aware of your body features so you can discover to manage them. For case in point, a biofeedback unit may perhaps exhibit you measurements of your muscle tension. By watching how these measurements modify, you can turn out to be extra aware of when your muscle tissue are tense and discover to relax them. Biofeedback may perhaps assistance to manage agony, like serious problems and back again agony.
  • Electrical stimulation involves employing a unit to deliver a mild electrical current to your nerves or muscle tissue. This can assistance handle agony by interrupting or blocking the agony alerts. Sorts contain
    • Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS)
    • Implanted electrical nerve stimulation
    • Deep brain or spinal cord stimulation
  • Therapeutic massage treatment is a procedure in which the delicate tissues of the body are kneaded, rubbed, tapped, and stroked. Among the other benefits, it may perhaps assistance individuals relax, and relieve strain and agony.
  • Meditation is a brain-body practice in which you target your interest on a thing, these as an item, term, phrase, or breathing. This aids you to minimize distracting or nerve-racking views or feelings.
  • Bodily treatment employs approaches these as heat, cold, exercise, massage, and manipulation. It can assistance to manage agony, as very well as affliction muscle tissue and restore toughness.
  • Psychotherapy (discuss treatment) employs techniques these as discussion, listening, and counseling to handle mental and behavioral diseases. It can also assistance individuals who have agony, especially serious agony, by
    • Educating them coping abilities, to be ready to much better deal with the strain that agony can induce
    • Addressing unfavorable views and thoughts that can make agony worse
    • Offering them with aid
  • Peace treatment can assistance minimize muscle tension and strain, reduced blood tension, and manage agony. It may perhaps entail tensing and relaxing muscle tissue all through the body. It may perhaps be used with guided imagery (focusing the brain on beneficial illustrations or photos) and meditation.
  • Surgery can occasionally be necessary to handle severe agony, especially when it is caused by back again difficulties or severe musculoskeletal injuries. There are usually challenges to finding surgery, and it does not usually perform to handle agony. So it is critical to go by way of all of the challenges and benefits with your wellness treatment company.