How To Beat The Heat And Chronic Pain With Water This Summer

June 3, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

A heat wave is slated to hit the Twin Cities for an upcoming stretch of days, and not only can the heat be uncomfortable, but it can make a chronic pain condition worse. When the temperatures start to rise, many Minnesotans head to one of the more than 10,000 lakes or a backyard pool to keep cool. But water can also be exactly what you need to fight back against your chronic pain condition. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how water can be a game changer for anyone dealing with a chronic pain condition.

Use Water To Help Combat Chronic Pain

Water has some unique properties that make it extremely beneficial for patients dealing with certain types of chronic pain conditions. For starters, the buoyancy of water reduces the pressure that gravity exerts on it. Most people with chronic back pain or a similar condition have been told that exercise can help to strengthen certain areas of their body and reduce pain symptoms, but regular exercise in and of itself can be painful because of the load you’re asking your body to bear. Traditional exercises like running or lifting weight can be difficult with a chronic pain condition, but some of the stress the body has to disperse when exercising is mitigated by the buoyancy of water, so you should consider taking your workout to the water.

Water can also be extremely helpful for individuals whose pain is limiting their mobility. Not only can we be more flexible in the water because the effects of gravity aren’t working against us, but water acts as a natural resistance band when we try to move in it. Resistance training is its own form of therapy, and you’re working against this resistance every time you move in the water.

Aqua therapy is also beneficial because it can easily be achieved by people of all skill levels. You don’t need to be an avid runner or familiar with the weight room in order to see the benefits of aqua therapy. All you need to do is find a pool or a lake and do some simple movement exercises for 10-20 minutes. If you need help creating a water-based movement routine, we’d be happy to help you develop one!

And finally, water is also beneficial for what it can offer our bodies, especially on hot days. Staying hydrated is key for your body to perform optimally. Hydrated muscles are less likely to strain or spasm during activity, and drinking plenty of fluids will prevent your blood vessels from constricting. When they constrict because you’re dehydrated, blood can’t flow as optimally through out your body, which can deprive key structures of an adequate amount of oxygen-rich blood. You’re not operating at 100 percent if you’re dehydrated, and oftentimes that will only serve to make your chronic pain condition or its symptoms worse.

So let water be your best friend this summer, because it absolutely can help you take control over your chronic pain condition. For more information, or for help developing a chronic pain care routine, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his pain care team today!

When Caring For Chronic Pain, Remember Your ABCs

May 27, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

abc Chronic pain can be an incredibly frustrating condition to treat. Some days are great, others are hell. It’s also a condition that is so unique to the individual that what works for one person may not work for someone else. With that said, many chronic pain sufferers can make progress in treating their condition if they remember their ABCs. In today’s blog, we explain what it means to remember your ABCs when it comes to treating your chronic pain condition.

The ABCs Of Chronic Pain Care

When trying to overcome your chronic pain condition, remember your ABCs, which stand for:

Acknowledge

The first step in overcoming any problem is to acknowledge that it exists. If you ignore it and try to push through your day like nothing is wrong, it’s not going to go away. In fact, it’s only likely to get worse. Acknowledge your condition and attack it head on instead of hoping it will just magically resolve. And once you’ve acknowledged that a problem exists, it’s time to…

Be Proactive

Being proactive is the next step in conquering your chronic pain condition. While passive treatments like rest and painkillers can help to calm symptoms, they will do nothing to treat the underlying cause. Instead, pursue an active treatment that targets the root cause of the problem so that you can experience long-term relief. Active techniques like exercise, physical therapy, targeted stretching and cognitive behavioral therapy can all help to provide symptom relief because they target the source of your problem. And if you need help cultivating a proactive treatment routine or figuring out which one is right for your, it’s time to….

Consult With An Expert

Finally, to take control of your chronic pain situation, call in an expert like Dr. Cohn. He understands that chronic pain is unique to the individual, so he will take the time to get to know you and your pain condition. He’ll begin with a comprehensive diagnosis and eventually work his way towards providing you with a carefully managed treatment plan that can be adjusted based on your progress or any difficulties along the way. He also knows that you may need help along the way, so he’ll always be there for assistance or guidance if you have any questions or concerns. It’s going to take some time and it’s not always going to be easy, but we’re going to be by your side under you have regained control over your chronic pain situation. We’ve done it for countless patients in the past, and we want to do the same for you.

So if you’re ready to follow your ABCs and conquer your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his office today.

5 Things Your Pain Specialist Wants You To Know

May 20, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Managing a chronic pain condition is easier if you come in the with right mindset and expectations, and as a pain care provider, we want to help set these expectations so that the process is a little easier on you. With that in mind, we’ve decided to share a few things about your pain journey that we believe will help you along the way. In today’s blog, we share five things your pain care team wants you to know to help make your path to recovery easier.

What Your Doc Wants You To Know

Pain is unique to the individual, but with that said, knowing these five things about your pain treatment plan can help increase your likelihood of finding success with your rehabilitation. Here’s what we want you to know.

1. It Will Take Time – There’s no magic pill to help completely take care of your chronic pain issue, so you need to come in with the expectation that treatment will take some time. Your condition likely didn’t just develop overnight, so it’s unreasonable to expect it to resolve in that way. Putting in the time and sticking with your treatment plan can help you live a pain free life down the road, which is something we all want.

2. It Will Take Work – Similarly, your pain condition isn’t just going to go away by laying in bed. Physical therapy and functional rehabilitation takes work. We’ll be with you every step of the way, and at times you probably won’t like us, but you’ll appreciate the work you put in when all is said and done.

3. Treatment May Be Multifaceted – As we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, chronic pain is often more than just a physical problem. There may be emotional, behavioral or psychological components to the physical manifestation of your pain. Treatment may need to involve more than just physical exercises, because other factors could be contributing to your issues. We’ll help diagnose those underlying factors and help you get the care you need.

4. It Will Get Better – We know better than to guarantee results, especially with a condition as complex as chronic pain, but we do believe that we can confidently say that if you put in the work, follow your doctor’s instructions and are patient, your pain condition will get better. You may not experience total pain relief, but we absolutely believe that we can help make your symptoms and pain more manageable. Trust us when we say that it will get better.

5. It’ll Be Worth It – Connecting with a physical therapist, putting in the work and being patient may seem like a tall task, but know that it will all be worth it in the end. You don’t deserve to live with daily pain, and you owe it to yourself to do what you can to take control over your pain condition. We promise you that the work you put in will be worth it, so while starting your journey to recovery may seem daunting, you’ll be better off because of it.

For more information, or for help with your pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his talented pain care team today.

More Americans Are In Pain Than Ever Before

May 12, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

New research published in the journal Demography found that more Americans are dealing with chronic pain on a regular basis than ever before, suggesting that not enough is being done to treat individuals with underlying pain conditions.

According to the new data, there have been blanket increases across multiple pain reporting measures, with pain rising in every adult group, every demographic group and at every site of pain for which data exists.

“We looked at the data from every available perspective including age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and income, but the results were always the same: There was an increase in pain no matter how we classified the population,” said Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk, associate professor of sociology in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, and co-author of the paper. “You might think that with medical advances we’d be getting healthier and experiencing less pain, but the data strongly suggest the exact opposite.”

An Increase In Chronic Pain

For the study, researchers took a closer look at how chronic pain is affecting a large group of individuals. Most studies only focus on how chronic pain affects people over the age of 50, but this study looked at people between the ages of 25-84. They drew their data from responses to the National Health Interview Study, which involved more than 440,000 participants from 2002-2018.

Here’s a look at some of their findings:

In the US, chronic pain affects more people and has a greater economic cost than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.
In older adults, body mass index, hypertension diabetes and kidney conditions are associated conditions that correlate most with increases in chronic pain.
In younger adults, BMI, stress and alcohol use have strong associations with chronic pain trends.

“What we’re seeing in the younger age groups demonstrates how pain in some ways functions as much as a mental health problem as it does a physical health problem,” says Grol-Prokopczyk. “Pain can be exacerbated by stress, and stress can bring about alcohol use.”

The idea that chronic pain isn’t just a physical issue is something we’ve been preaching for a while now, so we’re happy that psychological factors are starting to get more attention as an underlying issue associated with chronic pain development. However, it’s clear that still not enough is being done about treating chronic pain conditions, and we fear that the pandemic has only worsened chronic pain conditions for many individuals around the globe. Hopefully policymakers take note and commit more funding to helping find solutions for individuals with chronic pain.

So while chronic pain may leave you feeling isolated, based on this data, it’s clear you’re not alone when it comes to pain conditions. If you want to take tangible steps towards getting your condition under control, reach out to a pain management specialist like Dr. Cohn who will take the time to conduct an accurate diagnosis and develop a solution that suits your needs. For more information, contact his office today.

Can Seasonal Allergies Make Chronic Pain Worse?

May 6, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Spring is in full bloom in Minnesota, and while the budding trees and colorful flowers may be pretty on the eye, they can also be hard on our bodies in the form of allergies. And when these allergies develop, they can make a chronic pain condition much worse. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why seasonal allergies can make a chronic pain condition worse, and we explain what you can do to help combat both.

Allergies And Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is unique to the individual and can develop for a variety of reasons, so allergies won’t always trigger a chronic pain flareup. With that said, there are a few ways in which allergens can contribute to an increase in chronic pain symptoms. Here’s a closer look why:

Your Immune System – Allergens put additional stress on your immune system, which helps regulate inflammation throughout your body. If allergens worsen or incite an inflammatory reaction, certain chronic conditions can become affected. If you’re dealing with rheumatoid arthritis or another pain issue in your joints, inflammation can make movement painful.

Sneezing – Allergens can also cause you to sneeze regularly and forcefully, and this action can take a toll on certain areas of your body. If you are already dealing with a tension headache or chronic low back pain, a set of violent sneezes is only going to make the problem worse. Mild or moderate body aches can easily be agitated if allergens cause you to sneeze in excess.

Exhaustion – The burden allergies place on your immune system is felt throughout the whole body, which means you may tire sooner after activities if allergens are in the air, making it more difficult to find the motivation to exercise or do other activities that help to control chronic pain symptoms. Always feeling fatigued can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, which can lead to additional pain flareups.

The Mental and Emotional Burden – Allergies can also have a profound mental and emotional impact on a person. If you have bad allergies, you may shy away from certain activities and outings with friends or family out of fear of an episode, and that can be damaging on your psyche. Even though the weather is warming up and the birds are singing, you may find that your anxiety and depression is worsening because of your allergies, and that mental stress can have physical manifestations in the form of chronic pain.

So if you deal with allergies and want to prevent them from making your chronic pain worse, talk with a pain prevention specialist like Dr. Cohn. We’ll work to treat both conditions and make it so allergy season isn’t such a burden on your body. For more information or for help with your chronic pain or allergy condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.