Exercising Your Way To A Higher Pain Tolerance

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

pain exerciseAs we say time and time again on the blog, our bodies are designed to move. They crave movement. Movement helps to keep our muscles strong and functioning successfully, which is why movement and exercise are so often recommended for patients with chronic pain. However, new research suggests that regular movement could also help to improve a person’s pain tolerance.

For the study, researchers from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN), and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health decided to see if there was a relationship between physical activity and pain tolerance. After reviewing data from more than 10,000 adults, they found that individuals who were physically active had a higher pain tolerance than those who were sedentary. Perhaps more interestingly, the higher the activity level, the higher the pain tolerance.

Can Exercise Prevent Pain?

Armed with this knowledge, researchers wanted to take it a step further and see if there was a connection between physical activity and the eventual onset of a chronic pain condition. They found that being active certainly appeared to help ward off chronic pain conditions.

“We found that people who were more active in their free time had a lower chance of having various types of chronic pain 7-8 years later,” said doctoral fellow Anders Årnes at UiT and UNN, who worked on the study. “For example, being just a little more active, such as going from light to moderate activity, was associated with a 5% lower risk of reporting some form of chronic pain later.”

Moreover, researchers found that higher activity was associated with a 16 percent reduced risk of developing a chronic pain condition in more than one location in the body. The believe that the ability to tolerate pain did in fact play a role in this apparent protective effective.

“This suggests that physical activity increases our ability to tolerate pain and may be one of the ways in which activity helps to reduce the risk of severe chronic pain,” said Årnes.

He added that although exercise may have a protective effect when it comes to chronic pain, it could also play a role in treatment as it helps people become less sensitive to pain signals.

“Physical activity is not dangerous in the first place, but people with chronic pain can benefit greatly from having an exercise program adapted to help them balance their effort so that it is not too much or too little. Health care professionals experienced in treating chronic pain conditions can often help with this.”

If you need help developing an exercise program tailored to your strengths and deficits, let us be your guide. Dr. Cohn has helped people of all activity levels find ways to move more and fight back against their chronic pain condition, and we can do the same for you. For more information, or for help with a different pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his office today at (952) 738-4580.

How To Get Quality Sleep In The Face Of Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

sleepRestful sleep is incredibly important to our overall health. When we’re well rested, our body has time to recover from the rigors of the previous day, and we have more energy to attack today with exercise and activity. Conversely, poor sleep quality can do just the opposite. If we’re not getting great sleep, we may be more sedentary throughout the day and pain sensitivity can also increase. It is very important to work to get quality sleep.

With that said, quality restful sleep isn’t always easy to come by, especially if you are dealing with a pain condition that makes it harder for you to fall asleep or stay asleep. You may have to work a little harder to achieve restful sleep in the face of a chronic pain condition, but it can be done and it will be worth it. In today’s blog, we share some tips for achieving restful sleep despite dealing with a chronic pain condition.

Improving Your Sleep Quality If You Have Chronic Pain

We know that chronic pain is unique to the individual, so we don’t expect all of these tips to work perfectly for every single person battling a pain condition. However, if you really commit to one or more of these techniques, we’re confident that you’ll eventually find a way to improve your sleep quality. Here’s what we suggest.

Turn Off Distractions – For starters, keep your phone out of arm’s reach and don’t fall asleep to a television program in bed. These blue light sources can strain our eyes and make our brain more alert, which in turn makes it harder for you to relax and fall asleep. Try to make the last 15-30 minutes or more before bed a technology-free time.

Deep Breathing – You can help your body become more relaxed by practicing some deep breathing or meditation exercises right before bedtime. Focus on your breathing patterns and feel yourself begin to calm down and relax. Try to block out your mind from any sources of stress and really just work on clearing your head.

Exercise During The Day – Many people find that they fall asleep faster and sleep better if they are physically active during the day. Your body craves activity, and challenging your body with activity is physically exhausting. Sometimes feelings of anxiousness or restlessness at bedtime can be controlled by making it a point to exercise during the day. Exercise is also great for chronic pain management.

Avoid Caffeine and Naps – It may also be helpful to ditch the caffeine and naps, especially in the afternoon or evening if you want to fall asleep faster at night. We know that a nap can recharge your batteries and help you get through the day, but it can also make it harder to fall asleep at night. Try to avoid napping and consuming large amounts of caffeine in the hours before bed. A coffee to start your morning shouldn’t cause any problems at night, but a soda with dinner may, so be mindful of what you put in your body before bed.

Dive Into A Pain Management Plan – If pain is the main reason you’re struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, we urge you to talk with a pain management specialist like Dr. Cohn to develop a personalized care plan. By making small adjustments to your daily life with things like increased exercise, dietary improvements, medication management, posture awareness and physical therapy techniques, we’re confident we can help you find ways to reduce or eliminate your chronic pain, which can make it easier for you to relax and fall asleep at night. Chronic pain and poor sleep quality can build off one another, so really commit to a pain management plan, and you may find that your sleep quality dramatically improves.

For help overcoming personalized sleep issues that you’re dealing with, or for assistance managing your unique chronic pain situation, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.

5 Tips For Switching Pain Care Providers

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

doctor chronic painIf you’re just not getting the care you feel like you deserve, or your current practitioner is retiring, it may be time to begin looking for a new pain care physician. Whether you’ve been with your current provider for a couple months or many years, it’s not always going to be easy to find a new physician who will be a perfect fit for your situation. With that in mind, we wanted to use today’s blog to share five tips for finding a new doctor when you need to switch pain care providers.

Finding A New Pain Care Provider

Here are some ways that you can transition to a new pain care provider if you need to switch doctors for one reason or another.

1. Ask Your Current Provider For Recommendations – If you are on great terms with your provider, but a situation out of your control is making it such that you will no longer be able to see them for care, ask your current pain specialist for a recommendation. For example, let’s say that your pain specialist is retiring, or you are moving away for a new job. Ask your current doctor if they have any recommendations of providers in your area that would be a good fit for your situation. Odds are they would be more than willing to pass you off to someone they have extreme faith in to continue providing you with a high level of care.

2. Online Reviews – It may also be helpful to do a quick Google search for pain care specialists in your area and see what current and former patients are saying about their care. Read some positive reviews, read some negative reviews, and perhaps most importantly, see how the provider responds to any negative reviews or criticism. If the doctor is willing to try and correct any perceived issues, that suggests they really do want to do right by their patients. See what the online review sites are saying about any new doctors you are considering.

3. Check Your Network – Of course, you’ll want to make sure that any new provider you switch to is still in your insurance network. Sometimes this information is available online, while other times you may want to call the clinic or your insurance company to ensure that any change in providers will not lead to any unexpected expenses because the physician is out of network.

4. Ask Your Inner Circle – It can also be helpful to ask your friends or family for care recommendations. Just remember that you are looking for recommendations for a pain care provider and not a family medicine practitioner, so try to source information from people who have gone through similar issues. If you have friends, co-workers or members of a support group who have had a really positive experience having a similar pain issue treated by a specific physician, consider giving that provider a try. We know that your situation is unique, but chronic pain is incredibly common, so more people in your inner circle have likely worked to overcome a chronic pain issue than you realize!

5. Know That Nothing Is Final – You can do your research and crowdsource recommendations from family, friends and your current medical team, but at the end of the day, you’re going to need to see how you and the doctor mesh in person. Set up an appointment and go see how the doctor and their team handle your care. If they seem like they are willing to take the time to get to know you and listen to your concerns, they may be a good fit. If you’re turned off by the visit, look elsewhere for care. Know that whoever you switch to, the move isn’t permanent unless you decide it is. You can always work to establish care with a different provider if your first choice doesn’t seem to be a great fit.

For more information on switching providers, or to get answers to other questions you have about pain management, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.

How Netflix Is Getting The Problem Of Teen Pain All Wrong

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

netflixAn analysis of popular shows on Netflix found that the streaming giant isn’t offering an accurate portrayal of the problem of teen pain.

“Media is one of the most powerful engines of influence on children’s development and could be harnessed to address pain and suffering in the world. Stories matter,” said Dr. Melanie Noel, PhD, principal investigator and professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary. “Youth learn by watching and fictional stories can matter more in some cases than real life stories.”

Netflix And Teen Pain

For the study, researchers analyzed 60 hours of Netflix content including popular shows and movies like Spiderman: Homecoming and Stranger Things. Their analysis found that media oftentimes depicted teen pain arising from violence and injuries, not from more common sources of real world pain like medical issues or chronic pain conditions. They also found that this pain was mostly represented in boys and white individuals, as they noted a lack of accurate pain representation in girls, gender diverse people and people with racialized identities.

“If we’re not showing the types of pain that adolescents might typically experience like back pain and menstrual pain, then we’re trivializing pain,” said Dr. Abbie Jordan, PhD, co-author and senior lecturer at The University of Bath. “We’re not doing a great job of enabling them to think about how to manage pain, how to talk about pain and how to show empathy when other people experience pain.”

Researchers noted that adolescence is a developmental period where chronic pain oftentimes emerges, affecting as many as one in five youth. They believe that changing the narrative about the problem of pain on screen could help real world teens going through actual pain issues.

“I believe understanding how pain is portrayed in popular media- the societal and cultural narratives about pain- is among the most powerful influences on children’s developing understanding of not only their pain experiences, but how they show up for others who suffer,” said Noel.

While it’s clear that not every television series or movie will be rooted in actual real-world problems, the study does offer a unique perspective on how teen pain is being portrayed to a large scale audience. Not only could there be some benefit from talking about issues that more commonly affect teens in the real world, but how these characters respond to on-screen pain problems could help teens become more empathetic to those in real life who are battling their own pain issues. It’s certainly some interesting food for thought, and we’ll be more mindful of how pain issues are portrayed the next time we fire up our streaming services.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know needs help overcoming a pain issue of their own, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.

 

Early Intervention May Help Treat Patients At High Risk For Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

pain riskAs we’ve said on the blog in the past, early treatment is extremely helpful when it comes to effectively managing a pain condition, but a new study found that early identification of chronic pain risk can ensure those at the highest risk can effectively manage their pain issues.

In a recent study conducted at the Duke University Integrated Pain and Wellness Program, researchers found that a carefully worded two-question survey successfully identified patients who were most likely to develop chronic pain. These patients were then managed with a more detailed risk stratification and holistic services that contributed to better overall outcomes.

“Unlike traditional methods that reactively address chronic pain, this approach proactively provides resources to prevent the development of high-impact chronic pain, ensuring the right patient gets the right resources at the right time—before the problem escalates,” said Padma Gulur, professor in the anesthesiology and population health sciences department at Duke University School of Medicine, and senior author of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst.

Identifying Early Chronic Pain Risk

For the study, researchers provided patients in Duke’s pain and wellness program with a two-question survey that was created after reviewing numerous studies that identified factors lead to poor pain outcomes. The two questions were:

1. Have you ever felt your pain is terrible and it’s never going to get any better? (Y/N)

2. Have you ever used an illegal drug or prescription medication for non-medical reasons? (Y/N)

More than 13,500 – about 12% – responded yes to both questions and were then considered to be at high risk for poor pain outcomes. Respondents were grouped into high, medium and low risk categories, and those at the highest risk were treated with a more personalized treatment plan based on specific needs. Some common treatments for this group included pain management with the help of a pain specialist, referrals for social services and access to behavioral health, physical therapy and nutrition programs.

“The interventions were tailored to meet patients at their current state of pain management and to motivate them toward adopting a more holistic approach,” said Gulur. “The guiding principles emphasize that patients are doing as well as they can with the coping skills they have but, with the right support, they can do better.”

Of the 432 patients at the highest risk of poor pain outcomes who participated in the holistic treatment approach, more than half (51%, 224 patients) reduced their morphine dose within 30 days. That number rose to 299 patients at 60 days and 349 patients at 180 days. Moreover, the program’s treatments were more effective than those achieved through other management strategies.

“By demonstrating the effectiveness of early identification and intervention for patients at risk of poor pain outcomes, this research can inform the development of new therapies and treatment approaches focused on prevention,” Gulur said. “It could lead to improved health services by integrating similar proactive care models into broader health care settings, enhancing scientific understanding, and leading to better health care outcomes through more personalized and preemptive pain management strategies.”

If you answered yes to both of the above questions, or you are struggling to manage a chronic pain issue on your own, follow the lead of the patients in this study and connect with a pain management specialist. Chronic pain is incredibly complex, and you need to work with someone who understands how pain impacts you physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviorally. We take the time to get to know you and ensure your pain concerns are heard and addressed, no matter how long it takes.

For more information about who may be at risk for developing a chronic pain condition or to talk with a provider about a current issue that you’re dealing with, pick up the phone and call Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.