Conventional medicine treats pain with the help of medications; by either blocking the transmission of pain signals in the body or by correcting the underlying problems caused by the pain in the first place. However, traditional and alternative forms of medicine such as acupuncture manage pain issues within the body through the means of redirecting disrupted energy flows. One of the very few forms of alternative treatments used in conjunction with conventional treatments, acupuncture is seen as a mercurial rise in popularity in the past few decades.


What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture dates back to ancient China, about 2500 years ago. It has been widely practiced there for a number of millennia, not only pain relief, but also for treating many ailments. Acupuncture isn t just considered a form of therapy, but a holistic form of medicine. Acupuncture works on the principle of the flow of energy within the body, also known as  Qi , in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture strives to correct the disruptions in  Qi  that may cause pain by manipulating over 2000 of the specific pressure points within the body with the help of specially created needles.


Where is acupuncture effective?
Acupuncture is very effective in treating a host of ailments, especially in relieving the associated pain. Some of the areas where acupuncture has proven its effectiveness are:
1. Treating nausea and vomiting caused due to chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients
2.  Very useful in treating post-operative pain caused due to dental procedures
3.  Rehabilitating patients who have suffered strokes
4.  Fibromyalgia (musculo-skeletal pain with fatigue accompanied by sleep and memory issues) 
5.  Effective in combating withdrawal symptoms caused due to addiction
6.  Pain from menstrual cramps
7.  Tennis elbow
8.  Osteoarthritis (a type of arthritis caused due to the erosion of tissues present at the ends of one s bones)
9.  Pain of the lower vertebrae within the spinal column
10. Asthma


How does acupuncture work within the body?
According to modern medicine, the specific pressure points utilized by acupuncture within the body help in releasing chemicals that can block or at least reduce pain. It encourages the flow of chemicals from the brain, which act as nerve and pain blockers. It also helps stimulate the muscles and nerve endings, which can lessen inflammation and thus help in reducing pain.

Acupuncture - Why Should You Use it to Combat Pain?

If you suffer from chronic pain of any kind, it is important for you to know that it is associated and linked with your emotions. Other than your physical activities and personal relationships getting hampered, unwanted feelings like resentment, stress and frustration are also common. These emotions and feelings are capable of making your chronic pain condition more worse. 

The Relationship between your mind and body: Your mind and body work together and cannot be separated. Your mind controls all your thoughts and also affects the way in which pain is controlled or perceived by the body. Pain and the fear of pain may lead you to avoid activities. This may reduce your physical strength and cause disruption in the functioning of your body.

Stress: Stress affects your body both physically and emotionally. It may lead to an increase in your blood pressure, breathing rate, heart rate and muscle tension may also occur. These may lead to fatigue, appetite changes and sleep disruption. Stress also causes depression, anxiety, make you dependent on drugs and make you dependent on other people.

Depression: Depression is common among chronic pain patients. Chronic pain can make cases of existing depression much more worse and the existing pain is also worsened. There are chances of developing depression from chronic pain if depression runs in your family or genes. 

Symptoms of Depression are as follows:

Feeling sad, angry, worthless and hopeless frequently
Lack of energy
Lack of interest in regular activities
Difficulty in sleeping
An increase or decrease in appetite, which may lead to major weight gain or weight loss
Difficulty with concentration
Having suicidal thoughts and thoughts about dying or harming oneself
How to Handle your Emotions during Chronic Pain: A common therapy, which people with chronic pain undertake is called Cognitive Behavioural therapy. You should seek the help of a therapist. In this therapy, you will learn about thinking in a positive way instead of drowning in negative thoughts. Your fear of pain will be reduced and you will learn how to strengthen important relationships. You will be able to develop a sense of freedom from chronic pain. 

If your chronic pain occurs due to an accident or emotional trauma, you may be assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by your healthcare provider. Many patients suffering from PTSD cannot deal with their pain until the emotional stress is dealt with. If you feel depressed and cannot control your emotions, you need to consult a doctor.

Chronic Pain - Is it Linked to Our Emotions?

When is your pain chronic?

Your pain is chronic if it last for more than a period of six months. Chronic pain is a long-term pain whose nature can vary from mild to excruciating, and it may trouble you either continuously or at short and regular intervals. Chronic pain is so dangerous that it does not only cause discomfort and inconvenience but also robs you entirely of your capacity to work for a long time.

Chronic pain can occur in a number of organs of the human body like head, joints, back, shoulders, neck etc. In fact, pain in any part of your body can turn into chronic pain. Here are a few symptoms that can help you identify if what you are going through is, in fact, chronic pain:

- persistent and severe body pain

- burning sensation accompanied by the body pain

- fatigue and sleeplessness

- weak immune system

- stiff and sore joints

The 4 types of chronic pain disorders that you should be aware of are:

1. Nociceptive pain

The pain that affects the soft tissues of the body such as the skin and the muscles or the organs that have sensory nerves present in them is called nociceptive pain. The sensory nerves, known as nociceptors can detect the stimuli of pain and send information to the brain and the spinal cord for interpretation. The pain could be either somatic (originating in the outer body) or visceral (originating in the internal organs).

2. Neuropathic pain

This pain is caused when the nerves stop functioning normally. It is caused due to nerve disturbances that result in pain stimuli being spontaneously transmitted to the brain and spinal cord. If you are suffering from this type of chronic pain disorder, you will feel a sharp, shooting and stabbing pain. Neuropathic pain can also be caused due to the formation of neuroma (abnormal growth of the nerve tissue).

3. Psychogenic pain

The pain that is caused by psychological disorders like depression and anxiety is known as psychogenic pain. Sometimes this pain can be accompanied by physical complications like fatigue, body pain and muscle weakness.

4. Idiopathic pain

The pain that exists even though there is no physical or psychological cause for it is known as idiopathic pain. This pain is more common in people who have suffered from a pre-existing painful disorder. Some common examples of idiopathic pain are fibromyalgia (intense pain all over the body) and tmj disorders (pain in the jaw area).

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Related Tip: Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Your Pain is Chronic if it Falls Under These 4 Types of Chronic Pain Disorders!

Hot and Cold therapy is one of the most popular home remedies for any kind of joint pain or muscle sprain. In some cases applying heat therapy and cold therapy alternatively, can help relieve the pain while for others only one form of therapy is necessary. To understand what to use when, one should first understand the effect of heat and cooling on the body.

Applying a heat pack or immersing the affected limb in hot water improves blood circulation and makes the muscles more flexible. Thus, it can help relax a muscle and fasten the healing of damaged tissues. On the other hand, cold therapy or cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the affected site. This helps relieve inflammation and pain caused by it. It can also make the area feel numb by reducing nerve activity temporarily.

Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy can be categorized as dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using saunas or dry heating packs to relieve pain. This is also known as conducted heat therapy. As the name suggests, moist heat involves the use of steamed towels, hot baths and moist heating packs. This is also known as convection heat therapy. Moist heat is usually considered more effective than dry heat.

Types of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy may be applied to a part of the body or to the entire body. This includes ice packs, coolant sprays, ice baths, ice massages and whole body, cold therapy chambers.

How to use heat and cold therapy?
The sooner heat and cold therapy is given to a person, the faster they will recover from their pains. Heat therapy can be given to a person for extended periods of time but when giving cold therapy, a person should not be exposed to a cold pack or ice bath for more than 10-15 minutes. Care should also be taken no to apply ice or a frozen pack directly on the skin as it can damage the skin and nerves.

When not to use Heat Therapy?
If the injury site is swollen or bruised, cold therapy is better than heat therapy. Heat therapy should also not be applied to an open wound. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular diseases and multiple sclerosis should also avoid heat therapy as these conditions can increase the risk of burns and other such complications. Pregnant women should also consult a doctor before using a hot tub or sauna.

When not to use Cold Therapy?
Cold therapy is avoidable for treating stiff joints and muscles. People suffering from poor circulation and sensory disorders should also avoid using cold therapy without a doctor s supervision. 

Hot & Cold Therapy - How It Can Treat Pain?

Treatment of frozen shoulder varies depending on the stage it is at, and how severe is the pain and stiffness. There is no outright cure and the aim of treatment is to keep the joint as mobile as possible. The most effective treatment is that which maintains a good range of movement until the shoulder starts to heal. 

Treatment may Include the following:

1. Shoulder exercises: Regular, gentle exercise can help to keep the shoulder joint mobile. If your shoulder is very stiff, exercise may hurt, and it should only be carried out with the guidance of your doctor or physiotherapist. If you are able to, continue using your shoulder as normal saving' the shoulder can cause the muscle to waste and may make stiffness worse.
2. Painkillers: Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or prescription-only drugs such as codeine may be taken to ease pain and you should discuss this with your general physician or pharmacist.
3. Anti-inflammatory painkillers: Such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, are often prescribed to ease pain and inflammation. Any medication that you take should be discussed with your general physician or pharmacist.
4. Steroid injections into or near the shoulder joint may be effective at relieving pain and inflammation for a few weeks. However, injections are not a cure, and symptoms may return.


Treatment of frozen shoulder

What you must know about body ache


Affecting your entire body, body ache is usually an indicator of a condition that requires your attention for the pain to stop or a reaction of your body's immune system to an infection. Understanding the symptoms and the cause of the pain is the first step towards getting the right treatment for your problem.
The causes of body ache can be any one of these:
  an increase in your body's lactic acid as a result of overused muscles (that you normally experience when you perform strenuous exercises) leads to body aches that are not severe but temporary in nature.
  temporary body aches can also occur if you suffer from flu caused by the influenza virus and other medical conditions like fever and viral infections, among others.
  a cause of body aches can be the presence of a serious condition such as Lyme disease or pneumonia that brings about major infection affecting your entire body.
  inflammation of body cells or damage to your body's nervous system in the form of chronic ailments like autoimmune diseases and psychiatric problems can also cause pains and aches to develop all over the body.

What can you do to manage it?
There are simple ways that you can employ to relieve your body aches based on the root cause and these are:

  if the cause of your body ache is the flu, the best way to alleviate your condition is to take a hot bath. The hot water works by eliminating the body pains you may be suffering from. Even a gentle massage can soothe the ache affecting your entire body.
  for body aches that are caused due to overused muscle, you need to apply ice packs for 2-3 weeks on the affected area to bring down the inflammation. Even the application of a heating pad can help in relieving body aches brought on by muscle soreness.
  shoulder and neck pains can be easily prevented by performing simple exercises from time to time such as shoulder shrugs or head turns. Also, the practice of using wrist and forearm rests can reduce your chances of getting shoulder and neck aches.
  reducing your stress levels can also help in effectively lowering the instances of body ache. From sleeping on time to meditating for about 20 minutes a day can help in lowering stress.

In case, you do not get relief from any of the suggested ways, you need to consult a qualified doctor who will guide you on the right treatment course. 

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Related Tip: Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Body Ache? Here's What You Must Know about Body Pain

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