ÒBREAKING THE CYCLE OF CHRONIC PAINÓ
Few things are as distressing as chronic
pain. It saps your energy, and drains you of your once happy and charitable
nature. Over time pain can become a vicious cycle with a life of its own,
sometimes persisting long after the original cause is resolved.
The sense of pain is necessary to our
everyday life. It allows us to move through our environment without harming
ourselves. It is the bodyÕs messenger urging us to check in, to see if we need
to limit or change certain stressful activities. Unfortunately, many of us at
the time of injury or illness check in and check back out, unwilling to
appropriately treat our injury or change what is causing our pain. At this
point an individual may move beyond the normal pain response to a cycle of
chronic pain.
We think itÕs a mystery. But upon closer
examination its something weÕve been doing repetitively throughout the day. For
some itÕs obvious, the factory or labor job that requires the same motion
hundreds of times in an eight hour day causing a joint to become inflamed and
muscles to become short and stiff. Other causes are not so obvious; the
grinding of teeth while one sleeps, the computer screen that is too low or the
keyboard that is too high. Although these may be more subtle the end result of
chronic pain can be just as real.
The muscles involved have become chronically
tightened and tense restricting the flow of blood to the tissues, resulting in
a lack of nutrition and oxygen to the cells. As cells begin to starve, the back
up of metabolic wastes irritates the tissues and nerve endings, resulting in
more muscle tension and even more pain. And so goes the viscous cycle of
chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a frequent complaint of many
of our clients. Desperate for relief theyÕre willing to try anything. ÒMassage is one of the most overlooked,
yet best ways to break the chronic pain-tension cycle,Ó states Dr. Ronald
Melzack, a pioneer in modern pain research. An educated, caring touch will have
the effect of relaxing the muscles, allowing a flush of the tissues and return
of blood flow to the injured areas.
Through the use of massage, the awareness of
our bodies is expanded to include those areas with which we were so out of
touch that we didnÕt realize how much pain and dysfunction we were having.
Simply by becoming aware of these areas, we learn to let go of them and let go
of the pain as well.
Another difficult problem for those
suffering chronic pain is lack of sleep. Stage four sleep is vital in the fight
against chronic pain. If you have pain you canÕt sleep, if canÕt sleep you
canÕt heal your muscles.
Other suggestions for the relief of
chronic pain-
1. Try some magnesium, which is
particularly good for the relief of muscle pain. I prefer the liquid in very
low dose taken about one hour before bedtime.
2. Hot baths with Epsom salts,
ginger or relaxing oils such as lavender taken an hour or so before bedtime
brings relaxation to tight sore muscles relieving pain and inducing sleep.
3. Magnets really do work.
Small but important university studies show magnets to be effective in all
kinds of chronic pain. When using a magnet, make sure that it is at least
400-500 gauss (the strength measurement,) that you place the magnet directly
over the point of pain with north pole towards you. They DO NOT have to be
expensive to work.
Never assume chronic pain is something
innocent. Check first with your doctor. Till next time, Rebecca