COVID-19 and Chronic Pain

covid-19Covid-19 has become a deadly pandemic across the world, and it is likely that almost no place on earth will go untouched. It is not a hoax, and for many the threat is very real. Projections suggest that somewhere around 60 percent or more of the population will become infected over the next several months, and 80 percent of these infections will be mild. However, if one has another significant medical problem, than they may be at risk for a complication and become seriously ill or require hospitalization. Those who have one of many medical problems that cause pain often have conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or are elderly and at a high risk for Covid-19, however pain itself does not increase risks of the virus. Currently, becoming ill with Covid-19 is like playing Russian Roulette, as there is between 1-4 percent chance if you get become sick it will kill you.

If you have a pain condition, in general one needs to continue working on safe management and try to avoid anything that would increase your risk for infection. First and most importantly, chronic pain does not kill you and is not an emergency problem. Chronic pain is a management problem and there are usually multiple options in treatment. Sometimes a temporary solution is safer than a more definitive option. Sometimes the best treatment may be unavailable due to medical restrictions on procedures like injections or surgery. Fortunately, usually an adequate and temporary plan can be implemented until a better solution is available. There also is a fair likelihood that your pain still may feel intense and that you wish control would be better, but it’s something we have to deal with amid the pandemic.

Managing Chronic Pain During The Pandemic

There are things that one can do to make the pain better. First, it is important to realize that pain is a cognitive/emotional experience and a response to sensory inputs to the brain. Pain is the perception of the sensory signals from various nerves. A soldier in the heat of battle often will not feel a serious injury while someone sitting at home with nothing to do will feel horrible sensations since the brain is not occupied by other thoughts. Therefore, the busier the mind is, the less it can think about distressing thoughts. Distract the brain and keep it busy with positive thoughts, work or even television.

The second thing that helps pain is keeping physically active and healthy. Most activities will not make chronic symptoms worse. Continue to exercise, as it is important to maintain a good stretching, strengthening and general conditioning program. Stretching keeps muscles from tightening up, feeling like bands and spasming. Strengthening keeps muscle able to have the power to perform activities. Aerobic conditioning allows muscle to have the endurance to perform activities, increases your own endorphins that reduce pain and overall helps to relax the body and mind. Activity fights off deterioration of the body.

The third thing to do is maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. Try to improve your diet such that you are not gaining weight and stressing the body.  If possible, improve your diet, consider healthy choices like fruits, vegetables, diary and meats and learn to cook while staying away from highly-processed foods and excess carbohydrates. Keep your diet sustainable and something that you can afford and enjoy. If you are ambitious, try an inflammatory diet or a Mediterranean diet. On top of diet, sleeping an adequate amount is necessary. Turn off your electronic devices an hour before bed and relax the brain. Try clearing your thoughts with mindfulness, meditation or relaxation. There are many phone and computer applications that can help with relaxation. Sometimes, having professional psychological help is even beneficial. Good sleep and less stress help maintain or boost the immune system.

If you have pain, there are many ways to treat it. Now with the Covid-19 virus and the medical and social precautions being taken to prevent spread, some of the options for treatment are not available. The coronavirus may not be affecting you at the moment, but the risk of infections at this time and the possible risk of even death due to your actions is very real. One can be a spreader of the disease without symptoms, and medical workers have a very high incidence of the disease. Further, many medical procedures such as injections use up valuable protective equipment that really is needed for hospitals and senior living centers where there are not adequate supplies. At this time, pain can be treated for the short term with other options besides injections and elective surgery in most cases. If the procedure is not essential to prevent loss of life or limb, currently it can be postponed until the medical system is past the critical time of Covid-19 spread.

The Unforeseen Opioid Issue

overdose pain pillsThis week, another issue of opioid use to control pain came to light in the news. In a suburb of Minneapolis, a patient was in a nursing home type facility. Along with whatever issues brought them to the facility, apparently they had pain and were receiving opioid medications. At the nighttime dose, a staff nurse, probably in a hurry, gave a huge dose of the medication instead of the proper dose without noticing the mistake. By morning the patient was dead from an overdose. All opioids can cause breathing problems especially in those who are sick, and too much medication can easily be deadly.

The overdose of anyone by a person administering medications is unfortunate and should never happen. Two lessons are clearly evident. First, always double check to make sure you are taking the right medication and dose, and second, be aware that these medications are dangerous. When prescribing opioids, medical personnel should always be careful on how much medication is being prescribed and try to avoid giving excessive dosages.

If there are no alternatives, then be careful. Evaluate for medications that may interact with the opioids, such as sleep medications that may suppress breathing or anxiety medications. Check the person’s history for other medical conditions that affect breathing, like lung disease and sleep apnea, since opioids may disrupts breathing patterns. Make sure the person is mentally capable of taking the medication correctly, and that they are not suicidal, depressed, or  dealing with dementia, because this too can also lead to an opioid overdose.

Narcan’s Role In Preventing Overdose Deaths

Besides the above and a bit of common sense, preventing opioid overdose deaths is important. Many providers are adding a prescription of Narcan nasal spray when writing scrips for opioid medications. This is a medication that can block the effects of opioids and reverse its medical effects completely in the body. Narcan can block the respiratory or breathing problems from an opioid, but it will also reverse any pain relief. It is easy to deliver, it is shot as spray up the nose and will quickly reverse only the opioid-induced problems. However, for the new synthetic opioids like fentanyl or carfentanyl that are being abused with heroin, multiple doses may be needed in treatment.

Now, anyone receiving any significant amount of opioid for pain should receive Narcan nasal spray. The person who is normally taking the opioid may not need the Narcan unless they accidentally take to much medication. Otherwise, if someone else in the home of the opioid user takes the medication on purpose or by accident, the Narcan can be used to reverse the opioid and prevent death. As always noted, opioids are not ideal pain medications and can be easily deadly. Having and using Narcan in cases of emergency can prevent an untimely death.

Exercises For Sciatica Relief

Sciatica is a painful condition that occurs when your sciatic nerve becomes damaged or compressed. Your sciatic nerve runs down your leg, and when it becomes compressed, symptoms can range from mild discomfort to major pain.

Sciatica is a condition that we see pretty regularly in our office, so when our colleagues at Pain Management & Injury Relief reached out to us about sharing an infographic they created that focuses on sciatica treatment, we thought it would be a great addition to our blog. A stretching routine combined with regular exercise is one of the best ways to control and combat sciatic nerve pain, so if you are dealing with shooting or tingling pain in your legs, check out the infographic below.

Also, for more information on treating sciatica pain or other chronic conditions, be sure to swing on over to PainInjuryRelief.com

Find Sciatica Relief with These Simple, Effective Stretches

4 Common Causes of Leg Pain

leg pain treatment st. cloudOur legs are one of the most used parts of the body. We utilize them regularly – walking to work or school, and (hopefully) exercising on a regular basis. This constant use often leads to painful conditions. As with any pain, the first step to treatment is determining the exact cause of pain. With that in mind, here are 5 of the most common causes of leg pain:

  1. Sciatica & Low Back Pain. Sciatica is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It can create pain that starts in the lower back and radiates down through the buttocks into one or both legs. Read more about symptoms and treatment of sciatica.
  2. Shin Splints. Often the result of overuse and excessive amounts of exercise, shin splints are marked by sharp pain in your lower leg (usually after running). Generally shin splints can be effectively treated with rest and icing the shins.
  3. Peripheral Artery Disease. This condition occurs when blood vessels in the leg narrow, decreasing the amount of blood supply to the leg. A person with this disease will most often feel an aching pain when walking or exercising.
  4. Blood Clot. A blood clot is similar to peripheral artery disease in that it restricts blood flow. However, a blood clot is more severe since it completely blocks off an artery or vein, thereby cutting off blood supply. Depending on the location of the blood clot, treatment can include medications or injections to thin the blood, or surgery (in the worst cases).

Leg pain is common in many adults. Depending on the cause of the pain, it may or may not be cause for concern. If your leg pain does not go away with conservative treatment methods, or becomes severe, it’s important to seek out a physician right away.

Sciatica & Low Back Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment

sciatica treatment st. cloudSciatica is a term used to describe low back pain that usually radiates into one or both legs. If the pain is radiating down the leg, it is likely being generated from a structure associated with the lumbar spine.

Radicular low back pain is pain usually generated from the lumbar spine.  Rarely, it can be from surrounding structures, muscles and pelvic or lower abdomen organs.  Radicular pain can be caused by any of the following:

  • Lumbar Discs
  • Lumbar Facet Joints
  • Lumbar Vertebra
  • Lumbar Nerves
  • Sacroiliac Joints

All the above structures are linked to the lumbar spinal nerves, and when irritated, send signals to the brain that are perceived as pain in the low back that radiates into the buttock or leg. Pain can be felt on one or both sides of the body with this condition.

How to Identify Sciatica

There are several common symptoms that could indicate sciatica, including:

  • Lower back or leg pain (either sharp or chronic)
  • A tingling sensation or numbness in one or both legs, that may extend down to the toes
  • Pain in the buttocks

Generally, sciatica only results in pain on one side of the body rather than both. People who suffer from sciatica can have widely varying symptoms. Some people experience intense shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand or walk. Others feel a subtler and less frequent pain.

Sciatica Treatment Options

Most radicular low back pain is not serious.  The condition can generally be resolved by using conservative treatment methods, such as:

  • Ice and heat
  • Keep rest to a minimum – movement actually helps most structures to heal, allowing blood to flow to the region that carries the body’s own healing tools
  • Use over the counter medication to reduce pain

If the pain does not resolve within a week of trying these methods, then help from a primary care provider may be beneficial to obtain stronger medications and physical therapy.  No matter what you do, most sciatica pain will resolve within a month.

If radicular low back pain does not resolving in a month, the patient should consult with a Physical Medicine specialist, especially one board certified in Pain Medicine.  These physicians can listen to your symptoms, examine the muscles, spine and nervous system, determine what more testing is necessary and design an appropriate individualized treatment program for you.