Tips For Dealing With Chronic Pain Flareups

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic pain flareupChronic pain comes in many different forms. For some people, pain is consistent and dull, while for others it is spontaneous and severe. When pain seems to come and go in waves, this is categorized as a “flareup” or “pain flare.” These pain flares are typically associated with inflammation of a joint or muscle, and it can lead to an intense burst of pain or discomfort. In today’s blog, we share some tips for dealing with and overcoming these chronic pain flareups.

Causes And Treatments Of Pain Flares

A chronic pain flareup can develop for a variety of reasons, with some being more intense than others. For example, we’re heard of patients who have flareups after intense physical exercise, while others can be triggered by much smaller actions like sneezing. Others will notice that their chronic pain flareup is the result of mental and emotional forces, like stress and anxiety. Figuring out your pain trigger is extremely important for being able to effectively manage your pain flareups. A pain management specialist can help to determine your triggers and the underlying cause of your chronic pain condition.

As we mentioned above, treating your chronic pain flareup revolves around identifying your underlying trigger, but there are also some common treatments for flares that may help provide some pain relief. Here’s a look at some of the most common treatments for pain flares.

Low-Impact Exercise – Low-impact exercise can be great for helping to control flareups. Exercise gets your heart pumping, which sends oxygenated blood throughout your body to areas that need it most, and exercise releases endorphins in your brain, which act as natural pain relievers.

Stay Healthy – A response from your immune system can also lead to a flareup, so many people find it helpful to work to avoid sicknesses. Most people try to do this regardless of whether or not they have a chronic pain condition, but it still stands as a reminder to wash your hands regularly and to get plenty of vitamins and minerals in your diet that can help with immunity.

Find Ways To Destress – Stress can be a trigger point, and a chronic pain condition can also be stressful, so it’s easier said than done to say “find ways to destress” in the midst of a flareup. That said, dive into some deep breathing exercises, find a quiet place in your house to lay down, practice yoga or take a walk around the block. Find little ways to manage stress when it bubbles up to help control a flareup before it worsens.

Use Ice Or Heat – Cold or hot therapy can also be very helpful in working to calm inflammation, increase blood flow and reducing the severity of a flareup before it starts or after it has begun. Try a warm compress or a cold shower and figure out what works best for your body.

Talk To Your Doctor – Finally, if you’re dealing with new or chronic pain flareups, bring them to the attention of your pain specialist. It could be related to your underlying pain issue, or it could have a completely independent trigger, but you’ll never know unless you connect with a specialist and get to the bottom of your issue. Once you know what’s causing your flareups, you’ll be able to come up with an individualized treatment plan.

For more information on how you can regain control over your chronic pain condition or pain flareups, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

Four Ways Your Lifestyle May Be Driving Your Chronic Neck Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

pain neckMajor traumas get all the headlines, but for a large percent of Americans, their underlying pain condition is actually brought on by subtle stress or microtrauma experienced over months and years instead of a single instance. Because of this, many people don’t realize how their actions or their lifestyle choices are actually contributing to their pain condition. With that in mind, we wanted to use today’s blog to look at four ways your lifestyle may be fueling your chronic neck pain.

How Lifestyle Choices Are Causing Your Chronic Neck Pain

Here’s a look at four ways your lifestyle or daily actions may be contributing to your chronic neck pain.

1. Your Posture At Work Or While Driving – A lot of people spend time sitting in a car each day as they commute to a job where they’ll sit at a desk for eight hours, and if their head isn’t in the right position while they are sitting, their cervical spine will have to take on more stress. If you’re leaning back in your car seat or hunched forward at your work desk, your neck is tasked with handling the weight of your head, and it’s heavier than you may realize! The average human head weighs about 11 pounds, and that stress on your neck is amplified when your head isn’t positioned directly above your shoulders.

2. Your Sleeping Habits – If your pillow or mattress are too firm or too soft, it can push your neck and spine out of proper alignment. Consider how many hours the average person sleeps each day, it’s easy to see how an extended period in an undesirable position can be hard on your neck. Find a firm, supportive mattress and rest your head on a single pillow to make it easier for your spine to be in alignment when you sleep.

3. Your Smartphone Habits – Smartphones allow us to connect with others or look up information at the push of a button, but if we use the device for hours each day, there’s a good chance that our necks are suffering because of it. When you’re looking down at your smartphone, your neck is likely leaning forward, which as we talked about in the posture section, puts a lot of strain on your cervical spine and the muscles that help support it. Strive to have your cell phone out in front of you instead of in your lap when you’re texting or scrolling, and really make it a point to limit how much you’re on your device to help give your neck a break.

4. Your Exercise Habits – Finally, your exercise habits play a big role in the health of your neck. Aerobic exercise helps to push healthy blood to vital structures in your neck that need them to function properly, whereas inactivity contributes to muscle stiffness and atrophy. Low-impact exercises like walking or swimming are great for your neck, while living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to pain and other symptoms in your cervical spine. Just another reason to get your exercise each day!

If you’re dealing with pain or other symptoms in your neck and you want a specialist to help you get to the bottom of your discomfort, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

Five Lifestyle Changes To Help Alleviate Chronic Back Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic back painFor a number of patients with chronic back pain, some of their everyday actions end up making their pain worse, even if they don’t realize it in the moment. It’s easy to overlook some of the contributing factors to chronic back pain, but once you’ve identified them, you’d be amazed at how much help a few lifestyle tweaks can do for your pain. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at five lifestyle changes that can help alleviate chronic back pain.

Lifestyle Adjustments To Prevent And Treat Chronic Back Pain

Here are five little adjustments you can make throughout the day or add to your daily routine that can make a world of difference in helping you overcome your condition.

1. Move More – Sitting puts a lot of stress on your lower spine, which is the most common location for chronic back pain. Do less sitting and more moving. Limit your time on the couch in front of the television, and consider standing more or investing in a sit-to-stand workstation at the office. Excess standing can be just as harmful to your spine as too much sitting, so try to switch it up throughout the day, especially if soreness is starting to creep in.

2. Regular Posture Checks – Our heads are heavy, and if they aren’t in alignment with our shoulders, you can end up putting a lot of strain on your cervical spine. If you’re slouching on the couch or hunched forward looking at your computer screen, you might develop a case of “tech neck.” Perform regular posture checks throughout the day and make adjustments as needed.

3. Let Your Diet Work For You Instead Of Against You – A bad diet can oftentimes serve to make back pain worse, whereas a healthy diet can act as its own kind of medication. Carbohydrate-dense foods and sugary snacks can contribute to inflammation in the spine, which can compress key nerves and structures and make back pain worse. Conversely, a healthy diet full of vegetables, fish, nuts and fruit can help prevent inflammation and ensure your body gets nutrients that are necessary for healthy tissue growth and function. Rework your diet, and your back may start feeling better.

4. Stress Relief – Whenever we tell patients to de-stress, it always sounds easier in words than it is in practice. It would be great if we could remove stress from our lives, but if you’re juggling work, family and a social life, stress in inevitable. If you can’t find ways to minimize stress, find ways to manage it when it develops. Healthy outlets for stress can have physical benefits for your body. Whether it’s reading, yoga or meditation, find a healthy outlet for your stress.

5. Rethink Exercise – Finally, we challenge you to rethink your exercise routine if you have chronic back pain. You don’t need to go through a grueling gym routine in order to reap the benefits of exercise, so start small and build up to a sustainable exercise routine. Go for a walk around your block, swim some laps at the local swimming pool or do a yoga class with a friend. Over time, build up your distance or duration, as this will help to slowly strengthen key muscles groups that support your spine. Don’t be intimated by exercise because you think you need to lift heavy weights or run a certain number of miles. Set small, attainable goals and work up from there.

If you do these five things, we’re confident you’ll have more control over your chronic back pain condition. And for professional assistance to your chronic pain issue, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

The Benefits Of Walking If You Have Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

walking shoesExercise and movement are two common treatment recommendations for patients with certain types of chronic pain conditions, but regular exercise isn’t always easy to achieve if chronic pain makes movement painful. You may not be able to run a few miles or do a rotation at the gym, and because of this, you might opt to shy away from exercise even though it’s exactly what your body needs. At times like this, it’s important to remember that any type of exercise can be beneficial. Even just walking for 10-15 minutes can be great for your pain condition and your whole body.

Don’t think walking can do that much good? Below, we take a closer look at the benefits of walking if you have chronic pain.

Why You Should Walk If You Have Chronic Pain

Here’s a look at just some of the benefits of walking if you’re dealing with a chronic pain condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Blood Flow And Circulation – Walking gets the heart pumping and healthy blood flowing through your body. Structures rely on this oxygenated blood to get nutrients they need to function properly. This also helps to remove lactic acid in the joints that can contribute to pain and discomfort.

Muscle Development – Walking may not seem like an overly strenuous activity, but it requires a number of muscles to work regularly. Your core muscles are used when you’re walking, and a strong core can help you fend off chronic back pain, because when your core can handle more stress, it takes pressure off your spine.

Fat Reduction – Regularly walking can help you lose weight and decrease adipose tissue in the body. This adipose tissue is pro-inflammatory, which means you’re less likely to suffer from inflammation and related issues if you have less adipose tissue in your body. Weight loss also helps to reduce the strain you put on your knees, hips and feet when you walk.

Increased Synovial Fluid – Movement and exercise in the form of walking can also help aid in the production of synovial fluid, which helps to lubricate your joints and make movement easier, which is especially helpful if a joint problem is causing your chronic pain.

Endorphin Release – Walking and other forms of exercise can release chemicals in your brain that help to drown out pain signals, making discomfort less noticeable and more bearable.

Reduce Anxiety – Walking can also have a calming effect on the brain, reducing anxiety and stress, which can be chronic pain triggers.

This is just a short list of reasons why you should consider walking if you’re working to overcome a chronic pain condition. It’s a low-impact exercise that can really help you win out over chronic pain, and you don’t need any specialized equipment.

For more individualized help for overcoming your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today.

More Patients Seeking Chronic Pain Treatments Without Opioids

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

long term opiodsA growing number of US adults with chronic pain are pursuing a combination of non-drug and non-opioid approaches to control and treat their condition, which is an encouraging sign.

As we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, pain medications can play an important role in a comprehensive chronic pain treatment program, but oftentimes other active treatments provide more benefits and do not pose the same risks as potentially-addictive pain opioids. A recent poll found that 55 percent of adults with chronic pain used pain management techniques that did not involve any opioids at all over the surveyed three-month period. 11 percent of respondents used both opioids and non-opioid techniques, and only four percent said they only used opioids for chronic pain management. However, 30 percent of patients with chronic pain said they did not pursue any pain management techniques over the three-month period.

Other Chronic Pain Findings

Here’s a closer look at some of the findings from the survey:

  • Complementary therapies were the most commonly used non-opioid pain management technique (35% of adults), followed by physical, occupational or rehabilitative therapies (19%).
  • 5% of patients pursued self-management programs, 4% underwent cognitive behavioral therapy, and 2% sought out peer support groups.
  • 39 percent of adults said they pursued non-opioid chronic pain treatments that weren’t expressly mentioned by the survey.
  • Participants using complementary and psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions were more likely to be younger women with more education.
  • Prescription opioid use for chronic pain management was more common among older adults between the ages of 45 and 64 years compared to those aged 18 to 44 years (19% vs 8%).
  • Prescription opioid use was also more common among women than men (17% vs. 13%), in adults with health insurance compared to those without (16% vs. 6%) and in those with a high school education than those with more than a high school education (17% vs. 14%)
  • Prescription opioid use was less common among people making more than $100,000 than those making less than $35,000 (9% vs. 20%)

Researchers concluded that the findings were a step in the right direction for curbing the national opioid crisis, and it shows that more patients are working to pursue alternative and active chronic pain treatments instead of over relying on opioids that oftentimes simply mask symptoms instead of treating the underlying issue.

It’s great that so many people are working to take a vested interest in their health and really pursue different treatments instead of just taking pain medications. Opioids can make movements less painful and make it easier for patients to pursue certain active treatments, but there are numerous studies that have found some risks associated with long-term opioid use. The results are encouraging, but nearly one in three people with chronic pain aren’t seeking any type of treatment for their pain, and that number is still far too large. If you know someone with chronic pain, encourage them to connect with a specialist, because oftentimes symptoms can be reduced or even eliminated!

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