Do This, Not That For Chronic Joint Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic joint painIf you have chronic pain or aches in your knees, hips or wrists, you’ve probably heard a bunch of advice on what you should and shouldn’t do to help alleviate this discomfort. While much of this advice is well-intended, it may not all be in your best interest. So what should you be doing, and what should you be avoiding if you hope to overcome chronic joint pain? We share some things you should and shouldn’t be doing to treat your recurrent joint pain.

How To Overcome Chronic Joint Pain

If you’re dealing with chronic joint pain, here’s a look at some of the things you’ll want to do to help treat it, and some activities you may want to avoid.

Do Activity, Don’t Just Rest – Don’t get us wrong, rest can be great in the short term for common joint aches and pains, but after a couple of days your joints will typically be better served if you target them with controlled activity. This will help develop muscles in the area, improve stability, increase flexibility and push healthy blood to structures that need it. If you never work to strengthen an area, tissue can atrophy and become weak. Your joints work better when you’re moving, so don’t shy away from activity.

Do Consult With A Specialist, Don’t Just Rely On Google – Google is a wonderful tool, but looking for medical information online can lead you to pursue some treatments that aren’t right for your specific issue. Instead of simply leaning on your search results for answers, get an individualized diagnosis from a specialist who can view your issues in person. You’ll get set up with a personalized treatment plan that is designed for you.

Do Active Treatments, Avoid Long-Term Passive Treatments – Your joint discomfort is unlikely to resolve by simply pursuing easy passive treatments, like opioids, resting and massage therapy. Those treatments can certainly serve complimentary roles as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, but you need to pursue active treatments like exercise, physical therapy, stretching and strengthening if you want your joints to have the best chance at functional improvements.

Do Focus On Your Total Wellness, Not Just Your Physical Health – While joint pain is a physical problem, long-term physical issues can have an effect on your emotional and psychological health. Don’t ignore the other ways your health and your mind are being affected by physical pain. If you aren’t sure how your physical pain could be affecting your mood or your mental health, it’s another reason to connect with a specialist. Care for your mind and body as you try to overcome a chronic joint issue.

Do Reevaluate Your Lifestyle, Don’t Keep Doing The Same Things – If lifestyle choices contributed to your joint pain, don’t keep following those choices and assume the problem will resolve. If you have poor posture habits, you smoke, you don’t eat a great diet or you are overweight, consider how these factors could be leading to problems for your joints. Again, if the connection isn’t clear, speak with a pain specialist like Dr. Cohn. Oftentimes simple lifestyle adjustments can go a long way in helping you overcome chronic joint pain.

For help overcoming your joint issue, or for other chronic pain problems, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

Why Does Acute Pain Become Chronic?

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

low back pain lifestyleAcute pain is oftentimes the result of direct trauma to an area, but in most cases the injury can eventually resolve with the help of active treatment. However, for a small percentage of people, their acute pain turns into a chronic condition, and this can make it much harder for pain to eventually subside. But why does acute pain turn into a chronic condition, and what can you do to prevent this from happening? We answer those questions and more in today’s blog.

Acute Pain Turns Chronic

If you’re not careful, an acute injury can turn into chronic pain. Here’s a look at some of the more common reasons why acute pain eventually becomes a chronic condition.

Left Untreated – The most common reason that an acute injury turns into chronic pain is because you don’t actively treat the underlying issue. A lot of people just try to grit their teeth and push through any discomfort caused by an acute injury, but that can lead to additional stress on an area and prolonged pain. For example, if you sprain your ankle, you’ll make the best recovery with a little bit of rest, physical therapy and a slow reintroduction to physical activities. If you try to keep playing sports or working manual labor on an injured ankles, those damaged ankle ligaments may never truly heal, leading to chronic instability or similar long-term issues. Don’t leave a problem, no matter how small, untreated.

Treating The Wrong Underlying Condition – An acute injury can also lead to a chronic condition if you end up treating the wrong underlying issue. If you think you’re dealing with one injury with a specific treatment regimen, but you are actually dealing with something else that is best treated by a different set of remedies, the underlying issue may never be corrected, leading to long-term discomfort and chronic pain. This speaks to the importance of syncing up with a specialist to ensure you receive an accurate diagnosis.

Nerve Damage – If certain nerves are damaged, that can throw off off how sensory signals are sent and interpreted in the brain. You may no longer be in true physical pain, but a damaged nervous pathway could be relaying signals that the brain interprets as pain, leading to chronic discomfort. Chronic pain can be just as much psychological as it is physical.

Psychological Factors Associated With A Physical Injury – As we noted above, psychological factors can play a role in your expression and interpretation of pain signals, and sometimes our emotions can be thrown into flux following an acute injury. For example, if you were involved in a severe car accident, you may be dealing with more emotions like fear, anxiety or stress, and research has shown that these feelings can negatively affect your pain perception.

Acute pain can turn chronic for both physical and psychological reasons, so it’s imperative that you sync up with a pain specialist, get to the bottom of your issue and begin a targeted treatment problem to rid you from your acute or chronic pain. For more information, or for help with a chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Don’t Listen To These Three Myths About Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

mythsChronic pain is difficult enough to overcome without falling prey to some misconceptions or myths about your condition or how to best treat it. So if you ever hear someone say one of the following three sentences to you in regards to your chronic pain condition, know that they are mistaken and that believing them will only make it harder to overcome your pain issue. Below, we share three myths about chronic pain that you shouldn’t believe.

Don’t Believe These Three Chronic Pain Misconceptions

Even if others have the best intentions, they can end up giving bad advice if they are misinformed. If a friend or family matter ever says any of the following sentences to you in regards to your chronic pain, just ignore it, because believing it will only make it harder for you to find a helpful treatment to your chronic pain.

1. “It’s All In Your Head” – Some people simply can’t comprehend the fact that you are dealing with a physical condition that is causing real pain, so they just tell themselves that it must all be in your head. And while it’s true that pain is perceived and interpreted in the brain, that doesn’t mean that you’re just making it up. Don’t let others suggest that your pain isn’t real, because they don’t know what you’re experiencing every day. Knowing that your pain is real and acknowledging it is the first step in finding a a treatment that works for you.

2. “There’s No Cure” – Another one we hear from patients every so often is that they’ve previously been told by a provider or a family member that there is no cure for their chronic pain and that they better just accept that fact. We’ve never found a chronic pain case that we haven’t been able to at least help mitigate symptoms and make life more enjoyable, even if we can’t completely cure the condition. Know that solutions are available, and we can always work to find a way to reduce symptoms, even if the first treatment fails. Don’t accept that there is no option for your pain, because we won’t stop until we find something that works for you.

3. “Exercise Makes Chronic Pain Worse” – Chronic pain may make movement a bit uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean that exercise is bad for your condition. In fact, the opposite is oftentimes true. Movement helps improve your health in a number of ways, many of which can help to alleviate some issues associated with chronic pain. Activity strengthens structures so that muscle groups can better handle physical stress, it gets our hearts pumping oxygenated blood to vital components in our bodies, and it triggers the release of endorphins in our brain that can act as natural pain relievers. Regular exercise is oftentimes an integral part of a comprehensive chronic pain plan. Don’t assume that just because exercise isn’t always easy with a chronic pain condition that you should shy away from it.

To connect with a specialist who can help prove to you that these sentences are myths, and who won’t stop he finds a solution that’s right for you, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

How Nostalgia Can Help Ease Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

nostalgiaNostalgic feelings and thoughts can bring us back to a happier time, but according to new research, it could also help to reduce pain perception in patients with chronic pain.

New research published in Frontiers in Psychology sought to understand how embracing nostalgia would impact the perception of pain intensity for those dealing with a chronic pain condition. Previous work has found that nostalgia has been linked to psychological, emotional and social benefits, but two new studies wanted to see its effects on pain perceptions.

The first study used a writing task to to evoke feelings of nostalgia, while the second study examined how a patient’s pain tolerance varied following thoughts of nostalgia. In both studies, those individuals who were classified in the nostalgia group had higher pain tolerances than those in the control group. These results fall in line with previous studies that found that participants who were put through pain simulations while focusing on childhood photos reported lower feelings of pain compared to those who looked at random images.

Why Nostalgia May Affect Pain Perception

Researchers stopped short of saying exactly why feelings of nostalgia could impact a person’s perception of pain, but previous work on the effects of nostalgia may shine a light on the idea. One study found that nostalgic reflection increases thoughts of self-esteem, optimism, and perceived social support, and other studies have found that those same variables can reduce a person’s pain experience.

Another study found that nostalgia may act as a motivational component, leading people to believe they can achieve specific goals when reminiscing about the past, perhaps allowing them to re-frame their current chronic pain situation.

So while the answers to why nostalgia may decrease our perception of chronic pain are still theories and ideas, there does appear to be a clear connection between nostalgia and an increased pain perception. Future studies should continue to examine this link and see if there are ways to harness this connection.

And while you probably won’t be able to rid yourself of your chronic pain condition by thinking about years gone by, it’s fascinating how researchers are always looking for new ways to help patients gain control over their chronic pain condition. That’s the same philosophy that Dr. Cohn and his team have when it comes to your pain. We won’t stop until we find a solution that works for you, and we know that what works for one person may not work for another. Let us help you get back to a life free from pain. For more information, or for help with your pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today at (952) 738-4580.

Tips For Remaining Active While Dealing With Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

staying activeIf chronic pain or an injury is making movement painful, you may just want to curl up in bed and rest for an extended period. Rest is fine in the immediate aftermath of an injury, but after 24-48 hours, or if you’re dealing with a chronic condition, movement and activity will be more beneficial for your body than inactivity. But how can you make it easier to get active when pain and discomfort has you wanting to sit or lie down? Here are some tips for making it easier to remain active when you’re in pain.

Remaining Active When In Discomfort

Here are some tips for making it easier to get your exercise each day if you’re dealing with an injury or a chronic pain condition.

1. Get Outside – The weather is starting to get nicer in Minnesota, so head outside and take in some nature with your exercise. Go for a scenic walk down by the Mississippi River, or bike around one of the thousands of lakes here in Minnesota. It will feel less like exercise if you’re out in nature and taking in some of Minnesota’s natural beauty.

2. Find A Friend – You may also find it easier to get moving if you have a friend or family member help hold you accountable. Catch up with a friend or walk with a co-worker on your lunch break. Talking with a friend while you walk can help take your mind off your exercise and your discomfort. You’re also more likely to follow through with exercise if someone else is expecting you to show up.

3. Low Impact – If you’re in pain, don’t try to go through an extreme workout. Light exercise will get your heart pumping, strengthen key muscle groups and help you maintain an ideal weight. You don’t have to push yourself too hard, because that can lead to a setback if you’re not careful. Stick with low impact exercises that you don’t dread doing.

4. Swim – Swimming is a great low impact exercise that is perfect for people dealing with a pain condition. Water offers natural resistance, so performing simple movements in water will build muscle mass and help to increase your flexibility. Whether you’re swimming or performing an aerobic routine, jumping in the pool can be an easy way to stay active if you have a chronic pain condition.

5. Entertain Yourself – If you would rather perform your exercises from the comfort of your home, find some ways to entertain yourself while you’re exercising to help take your mind off the activity. Watch an episode of your favorite television show while your’e on the elliptical, listen to a podcast while you’re walking on the treadmill, or listen to a chapter from your favorite audiobook while you perform a 15-minute workout in your living room. You’ll find that it’s easier to stay active if you find ways to stay entertained throughout the activity.

For more tips, or for help with your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.