The Effects Of Alcohol On Chronic Pain Management

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

pain alcoholAt the end of a long hard day, many people just want to put their feet up and relax, and some also choose to kick back with a beer or a cocktail. Alcohol can affect our mood and our stress level, and it can even help to take our mind off the stressors of the day. However, it’s far from a perfect crutch to lean on if you are battling a chronic pain condition. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the effects of alcohol as it pertains to someone dealing with a chronic pain condition.

Alcohol and Chronic Pain

Even when used responsibly, alcohol can cause problems with our bodies. It can lead to nerve damage and increase our risk for certain types of cancers. However, research shows that a large portion of chronic pain patients are turning to alcohol to help cope with their pain condition. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, roughly 28 percent of chronic pain patients self-medicate with alcohol. That’s more than 1 in 4 pain patients.

The reason many people turn to alcohol is because of the short term relief it appears to provide. It helps to drown out pain signals from nerves and mental stressors like anxiety and depression. The problem is that it doesn’t do this in a healthy way. The short term relief can eventually give way to long term issues, including worsening chronic pain conditions. Nerve signals can become more problematic as the nerves are damaged from alcohol consumption, and relying on alcohol can also push a person further away from healthy treatment options.

For example, drinking alcohol is easier than getting regular exercise, but the benefits of exercise far outweigh the benefits of alcohol. Many people can find the same relief through each option, but one option does this in a positive, healthy way and the other does it in a way that jeopardizes our short- and long-term health. Alcohol intake can also cause problems if you are taking medications, making them ineffective or increasing your risk of dependence, abuse or overdose.

Interestingly, the effects of alcohol on chronic pain have been studied by researchers in the past, and they have found that mild to moderate alcohol intake (1-2 drinks per day) was associated with a slight reduction in anxiety and pain scores. However, researchers don’t believe that this was due to the physical effect alcohol had on the body. Instead, they believe it had to do with the social effects it had on patients, lowering inhibitions and making patients more socially active. Long term it can cause nerve damage, but in the short term it can trick your brain into getting you into a better mindset, and there are positive associations between improved mental health and similar improvements in physical health.

At the end of the day, please use alcohol responsibly if you have a chronic pain condition. Alcohol should never be used as a coping or treatment strategy, because there are so many healthier and more effective options. If you’re struggling with a pain condition and are trying to find a healthy way to treat it, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

How Is The Pandemic Is Affecting Pain Patients

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

pain Although it seems like we’re starting to come out the other side, we’re still dealing with the fallout of COVID-19 on a daily basis. And while the virus tends to have the most severe effects on older adults, another vulnerable group during this period are chronic pain patients. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how chronic pain sufferers are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pain Patients and the Pandemic

Chronic pain can make getting out of bed a daily battle, and when you add a pandemic to the mix, it only gets worse. Here’s a look at some of the unique ways that the pandemic is affecting patients with chronic conditions.

Isolation – We’re supposed to be limiting our contact with others as much as possible to help cut down on potential transmission, and that can leave us feeling isolated. Those feelings can be amplified in patients with a chronic pain condition who may already feel isolated because of their individual pain condition. Make sure you are staying connected with others as best you can, be it by phone, Facetime or in person with distancing measures in mind.

Worsened Symptoms – If a chronic pain patient caught COVID-19, there’s a chance their symptoms would be worse than the average person’s symptoms. Research has found that genetic and autoimmune deficiencies could contribute to worsening symptoms, and those same issues could have an underlying role in your chronic pain condition. Everyone should make smart decisions when it comes to preventing potential exposure, but this is especially true for chronic pain patients.

Delayed Access To Care – Elective surgeries were delayed when COVID numbers were surging in Minnesota, and now medical centers are dealing with a backlog of patients. This can make it harder to see a doctor as soon as you would like. COVID-19 is delaying access to medical care for all individuals, but patients with chronic pain that may have more regular checkups and screenings now may face additional challenges staying on top of their condition.

Psychological Effects – As we’ve preached about on the blog in the past, chronic pain conditions are rarely only a physical issue. There is also a big psychological side to treating the condition. However, this could become harder to manage as the stress of COVID-19 is adding mental strain to our plate. Try to ensure that you are taking time for your mental health and your physical health each and every day.

If you are finding it even harder to manage your chronic pain during these turbulent times, know that we are here for you. We will do everything in our power to help you have more good days than bad. For more information on how we’ll do this, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Preventing Chronic Pain From Having Consequences For Your Social Life

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

social isolationChronic pain can be a significant physical problem, but unfortunately it’s not just a physical issue. We’ve talked about how chronic physical pain can have an impact on your mental health on the blog in the past, but today we want to touch on another aspect of your life that chronic pain can affect – your social life. Below, we talk about how chronic pain can negatively affect your social life, and how to prevent this from happening.

Chronic Pain And Your Social Life

If you have a chronic pain condition, you can probably relate to at least one of the points below. Here are a number of ways chronic pain can affect your social life.

1. Withdrawing From Friends – Either because you’re dealing with a flare up or you’re afraid of a flare up when you’re out with friends, it’s easy to start using your pain condition as a reason to turn down invitations or to meet up with others. Never be afraid to say no, but at the same time, make sure you’re also offering and trying to make plans instead of always being the one cancelling or skipping. If you’re afraid of going to the movies with friends, offer to host a movie night. Find a way to stay close to your inner circle on your own terms if chronic pain sometimes gets in the way.

2. It Distracts You – Sometimes chronic pain is all we can think about, and that can take away from your enjoyment when you’re out with others. This can leave you feeling distant even when you’re out with friends. Really try to engage in the activity or the conversation, as this can help take your mind off your pain, and this speaks to the larger point of really working with a pain specialist to find treatment and coping mechanisms to prevent pain from making you mentally distracted.

3. Your Mood – Being in physical pain can have a significant affect on your mood, and nobody wants to hang out with someone whose always in a bad mood. Talk with your doctor about your cognitive treatment options to prevent physical pain from affecting your mood. And while it may not be easy, try to reflect on your mood and your attitudes when you’re with others to see if you believe your pain is making you a negative person.

4. Isolated – Chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated in a different way than described in point one where you’re not physically able to connect with friends. Chronic pain can leave patients feeling different from everyone else, and that can be extremely isolating. Don’t be afraid to talk with your friends and family about how your chronic pain makes you feel. Odds are they are going to be more accepting and welcoming than imagined, because you’d do the same for them if they opened up to you about their struggles.

By working with a specialist who understands the physical, mental, emotional and social effects of chronic pain, you can help ensure that your condition doesn’t spill over into other aspects of your life. Dr. Cohn has been doing that for patients for decades, and he can do the same for you. For more information, reach out to his clinic today.

How To Deal With Chronic Pain Without Medication

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic pain medicationEverybody’s battle against chronic pain is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to treating chronic pain. However, one thing many patients have in common is a desire to avoid painkillers and opioids at all costs. That’s not to say that opioids can’t be a crucial part of a chronic pain treatment program, but for one reason or another, many patients want to avoid them if at all possible.

If you’re one of those people who wants to try and treat their chronic pain without the assistance of opioids, we want to help. Below, we look at some ways you can work to alleviate symptoms and treat the root cause of your chronic pain without painkillers.

Treating Pain Without Pills

Many chronic pain patients find relief with some form or a combination of the following treatment options.

1. Exercise – Sometimes your chronic pain is derived from instability or your body’s inability to provide ample support for stress that is being channeled through an area. Exercise can help to strengthen weakened areas of your body, but it also helps by pushing healthy blood throughout your body so that oxygenated blood and nutrients can aid in tissue development. If traditional exercises like running or walking are too painful, consider some limited weight-bearing exercises like swimming or an elliptical.

2. Yoga – Yoga can provide a number of the same benefits as exercise, but it can also help treat chronic pain that is causing limited mobility. Yoga can help to expand your range of motion and treat issues like chronic neck pain or frozen shoulder. Find a beginner class near you and drag a friend a long to join in the fun.

3. Meditation and Mindfulness – Sometimes, it’s not about treating just the physical condition, you also need to be cognizant of your mindset and how chronic pain is affecting your mental health. Improving your mental health has been shown to have a positive affect on your physical health, so understand that these two factors are related. Make sure you’re caring for your mental health throughout your battle with a physical pain condition, because that can help spur recovery. Meditation and similar mental health-based activities can help with this.

4. Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is arguably the most commonly recommended form of non-operative treatment for chronic pain conditions, and that’s because it’s often so effective. By working with a physical medicine specialist or a physical therapist, you can develop a therapy routine that targets the underlying cause of pain. Whether it’s chronic joint pain, a muscle issue or loose ligaments that are leading to chronic ankle sprains, a physical therapy program that strengthens specific areas of your body can work wonders.

5. Hot/Cold Therapy – Hot or cold therapy can be beneficial for your chronic pain condition depending on the underlying cause. For example, heat therapy can boost blood flow to an area with limited blood flow due to inflammation, and heat can also help relax painful muscle spasms. Cold therapy can be used to help limit swelling in an area, making joint movement less painful. Consider using this option in combination with other techniques listed on this page.

For help getting control over your pain condition, without or without painkillers, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Looking At The History Of Pain Awareness Month

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic pain awarenessSeptember is here, and that means it is officially pain awareness month here in the United States. We’ve written about pain awareness month on the blog in the past, but today we wanted to take a closer look at how this campaign came to be and why it is so important for chronic pain sufferers, their families and their physicians.

A Brief History Of Pain Awareness Month

Pain awareness month was officially established in 2001 led by efforts from the American Chronic Pain Association. The fact that chronic pain has only been officially recognized for less than 20 years speaks to how dearly a campaign like this was needed. Many chronic pain patients suffer in silence because of the stigma of chronic pain or because of how they believe they may be perceived by others. By developing the campaign, the ACPA hoped to normalize chronic pain and help prevent these feelings of loneliness that can often accompany a chronic pain diagnosis.

Two years after the declaration of pain awareness month, the ACPA held a conference during September to further their agenda. The conference featured speakers and workshops on topics like:

  • Pain in the workplace
  • Pain and the family
  • When kids hurt
  • Women in pain/Men in pain

Media was invited to attend and further spread the work that chronic pain is something that millions of people deal with on a daily basis.

A few years later, pain kits were put together and distributed at the conference and online to help those in pain better manage their conditions. Toolkits were also provided for nurse and pharmacists, two groups who work closely with individuals in chronic pain. More than 150,000 kits were distributed by the end of 2006. By 2007, the ACPA felt that pain awareness month had officially been established, so they turned their sites on state-level changes across the US.

We’ve written about pain awareness month on the blog a few times in the past because we want to do our part to help bring attention to the problem of pain. Research for chronic pain conditions is grossly underfunded, and awareness campaigns like this can help drive funds towards new treatments and a renewed ability to understand the complexity of pain. Hopefully these campaigns are successful and we can continue to bring awareness and crucial funding to treat a variety of chronic pain conditions.

So if you are battling chronic pain or a chronic pain condition, know that you are not alone and that there are resources out there for you. We know firsthand how difficult chronic pain can be to treat, but you can get control of it if you’re willing to work with a doctor who will take the time to really listen to your concerns and uncover your root causes of pain. Dr. Cohn and his team have done that for so many people already, and he can do the same for you. For more information or to set up an appointment with his team, give them a call today at (952) 738-4580.