Wholistic View of Pain Management
While pain management often focuses primarily on easing physical pain, there are other aspects of pain management that need to be addressed as well. Chronic physical pain creates a vicious cycle of stress responses and increased inflammation- worsening physical pain and the perception of it. In addition, physical pain – and sometimes the pharmaceuticals used to treat it – can contribute to alterations in mood as well as disturbances in eating and sleeping patterns.
Loss of ability to maintain usual activities can impact job performance and relationships and impair self-esteem and such self-care practices as physical activity , hobbies, healthy food preparation and general self-sufficiency and well-being. Depression resulting from chronic pain can lead to a feeling of loss of one’s faith and absence of comfort from spiritual resources.
The cumulative effect of all these factors can result in suffering persons taking desperate measures. Self-harm , addictions, and abject despair can result .
In my decades of work as an integrated wellness specialist, I have found that while alternative interventions may not work in every case, the wide array of options often offer surprising relief.
Beginning with the basics, we look to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who said, “Let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food.” The immediate gratification of “frankenfood” – ie the fat, salt, sugar, refined carbohydrate combos result in immediate pleasure followed by greater misery due to their pro-inflammatory effects Learning to choose and enjoy anti-inflammatory foods make a critical difference in mood management as well as helping the body heal.
Once the body and brain de-toxify they are fertile receptors for a variety of options in the field of “energy medicine” . The ancient healing powers of acupuncture are support by evidence posted on the NIH Alternative Medicine website – including pain relief from arthritis and mitigating side effects from cancer treatments among others. Acupuncture can treat the whole person as well as symptoms and ease stress, improve sleep, and support overall wellness.
Energy work such as Reiki is administered by some nurses at the Md Shock-Trauma unit to aid recovery and there are several cancer treatment centers that offer Reiki to help patients relax. As a Reiki Master, I have seen post-surgical pain reduction, improvement in sleep, and reduction of anxiety among many other benefits.
An often over-looked form of energy medicine is homeopathy. Widely used in Europe, various homeopathic remedies address a wide array of issues from nausea to swelling and bruising , immune issues and more .
One of the concerns I hear is that many if not most alternative remedies are not covered by insurance . While nutritional strategies are a matter of making educated choices and eating mindfully, another self-treatment is “tapping” (EFT) which combines acupressure with cognitive re-framing and self-acceptance statements- surprisingly effective in reducing physical , mental, emotional pain .
For patients who have access to a variety of bodywork and counseling mindbody modalities , these can be extremely helpful and even life-changing. Massage and a host of mind-body psychotherapy methods such as somatic experiencing, sensory-motor therapy and Hakomi as well as creative arts and experiential therapies can address healing the whole person.
One of the major drawbacks of chronic pain is the resulting reluctance to move because of pain or fear of pain . It may take some experimenting to see which forms of physical activity feel good and which ones exacerbate discomfort. Checking with the physician, physical therapist , or chiropractor can prove helpful . Working with a certified post-rehab exercise specialist or medical exercise specialist can help ease the transition from working under supervision and working out on one’s own. Beginning with water exercise , Tai chi, or gentle yoga may benefit both body and mind . Co-ordinating movement with breath is essential
The proven benefits of breathwork, mindfulness and meditation range from stress relief to reduced pain, better sleep and a sense of spiritual well-being..
The support of a caring community offering physical, mental, emotional and spiritual support is of inestimable value