Acupuncture is a kind of therapy that combines needles with pressure and pain points in order to delicately apply pressure for pain relief. This form of physical therapy is being increasingly recognised as an efficient method of treating pain in joints, muscles, bones and even for migraine pain. So let us find out more about Acupuncture and pain management.

    Chronic or Long Term Pain: There are many ailments that cause chronic or long term pain. These include back pain, neck pain, stiffness in the joints, osteoarthritis, headache and migraine, and pain in the shoulders. All this can be treated over a long period of time with the help of simulated acupuncture which uses pointed apparatus for activating better blood circulation for overall improvement in the pain that is being experienced in the area. The use of this apparatus helps in avoiding the harmful medication that can have adverse side effects.
    Menstrual Cramps: A fine needle method at the right points can help in bringing down the symptoms of the painful condition called dysmenorrhoea during menstrual cycles. With acupuncture, the acupuncturist can administer acupoint therapy to relieve menstrual cramps. This will help in moving the qi, or life force, in a better way so that the pain will stop. 
    Acute Pain: Over use of muscles, joints and repetitive, work related movements and strain can lead to acute pain. This includes wrist pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain, lower back pain, neck pain and even leg pain. With acupuncture, the patient gets rid of the pain in close to twelve sittings.
    Pain due to Cancer Treatment: Cancer and its treatment can take a heavy toll on the body and lead to a series of complications which also includes pain. A clean needle procedure can be followed along with the chemotherapy and radiation or after it, so as to relieve the patient of the pain experienced. Also, it can be used to replace traditional chemotherapy and radiation. 
    Better Rest: When the needles or apparatus touch the pressure points and circulate the blood and life force, it actually creates a soothing effect and helps the patient sleep and get better rest. This is also a requirement for pain relief. It can bring better blood flow to the area and help in removing anxiety and stress related to pain so that there is better chance of getting rest. 

With the use of acupuncture, pain can be taken care of with the needles and various tools that come in various shapes. These tools and equipment can also use laser treatment along with the point focused treatment.

Acupuncture and Pain Management

Stitches or sutures act as a closure for either surface wounds or deep wounds. Procedure to close a deep wound comprises of sewing the two edges and applying stitches under the skin surface.

Catagories of sutures

    Non-absorbable stitches: Such stitches are applied in case of skin wounds or internal wounds. Such stitches get healed quickly and are easy to remove. Non-absorbable stitches are made of natural fibers or synthetic threads like nylon polypropylene. As the name suggests, these stitches are either permanent or persist for a long time.
    Absorbable stitches: Such stitches are applied on layers, which have the property of healing quickly. They are very firm during the initial days. Then they start getting dissolved in the body.

Precautions taken by medical team before applying stitches to prevent infection

    Careful checking of nose for occurrence of germs before the start of operation.
    Skin must be cleansed prior to surgery.
    Sanitizing hands prior conducting the surgery.
    Usage of germ free gloves and sterile clothes while applying sutures.
    Prescribing antibiotics to the patients who may fear high risk of infection.

Precautions to be taken by patient to prevent infection

    Take a bath prior to surgery.
    Avoid using razor at the surgical site. The same can be carried out by using clippers by the surgery team itself.
    Keep all your jewellery aside before the operation starts. Do not apply nail polish.
    It is advised to cover up the wound. Try to keep the adjacent areas germ free. This is a crucial step in avoiding infection.
    Visit your doctor at once on finding redness around the wound.

When to see the doctor
Pain up to a certain threshold is normal. In case pain gets unbearable, the scene can be alarming. It may be an indication of infection. Taking immediate remedial steps is necessary to avoid infection or any other side effects post the surgery. On meeting with any of the following signs, it is better to consult doctor at once.

    If the skin around the wound gets swollen.
    If you detect redness around the wound.
    If the pain becomes unbearable.
    If the wound starts developing pus.
    If your body temperature increases abnormally or if you have fever.
    If you observe red streaks around the wound.
    If in case a stitch gets opened up and the edges of the suture start widening. This is the most alarming sign. In case a suture gets opened, you must immediately seek a remedy.

Ask your doctor for the precautions you can take to avoid experiencing any of the above signs. If you come across such alarming symptoms, rush to the nearest hospital and get the appropriate treatment.

Pain in Stiches - When You Should See Your Doctor?

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

Are you prone to slipped disc problem? + the ideal way to treat it

A slipped disc, also known as a prolapsed disc or herniated disc, is the term given to the phenomenon that occurs when a cartilaginous disc found between the vertebrae in the spine becomes slightly displaced or protrudes, thereby pressing on the nerves in the adjacent areas and causing back pain.
This happens when the soft inner part of the disc, known as nucleus pulposus, bulges out through a weakness in the exterior part of the disc. A prolapsed disc usually occurs in the lower region of the spine and can be of varying sizes. There might even be the development of inflammation around the disc in some cases.

Who is likely to get affected?
Most cases of herniated disc occur in patients between the ages of 30 and 50. The number of men affected is twice as many as the number of women.
Although the root cause of this problem is not yet known, there are a number of factors that may trigger it. These factors include working at a job that requires a lot of lifting, an occupation that involves remaining in a seated position for a long time, weight-bearing sports, obesity, smoking habits and increasing age.

Effective ways of treating the problem
The different methods that are commonly used to treat the problem are:
Medications
There are many different kinds of medicines that are effective in providing relief. These include painkillers, muscles relaxants, anti-inflammatory pills, etc.

Spinal injections
A number of spinal injections are used to treat slipped discs. The injection is done at the opening where the inflamed nerve roots are found and reduces pain, swelling and irritation in the area.

Radiofrequency ablation
This procedure makes use of an electrical current produced by radio waves to reduced pain and sensitivity in the affected area.

Ozone discectomy
As opposed to the surgical removal of the prolapsed disc, this new process makes use of an ozone-oxygen mixture that is injected into the spine to treat the problem. Many international studies have proved its superiority to traditional methods and surgeries.

Those affected by this problem are advised to keep exercising and continuing with their everyday activities as best as possible.



Why You Can Get a Slipped Disc Problem?

There are many ways to treat pain and this includes acupuncture, several natural remedies, technological procedures and surgery. Among the different approaches for treating pain, massage therapy is an effective method.

Massage therapy is one of the earliest therapeutic processes for relieving pain for a long time as it provides ideal relief and performs recovery functions as well. In the modern day, massage therapy is a popular pain relieving remedy, which is utilized by people all over the world.
Massage therapy involves manipulation of the tissues, which is performed by special therapists. There are various types of massage therapies, which incorporate different techniques and procedures.
Long-term massage therapy is not very expensive and has no side effects on the body. With the help of massaging, there is an increased lymph flow, improved blood circulation and several positive effects on the immune system. 
Conflicting views

The current studies on massage therapy are quite conflicting and there are negative views regarding the effects of massage therapy to provide pain relief. Massage therapies are successful in treating several cases of lower-back pain. However, many experts consider massage therapy to be a relaxation technique and not a proper treatment procedure.

They say that massage provides relief to pain, but physical therapy, exercise and medicines are far superior in providing pain relief than massage therapy. Massage provides relief to neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. However, it is considered that this relief is only temporary and not consistent enough. A single session of massage therapy does not really provide a long-term relief from pain. For better and lasting results, massage therapy should be undertaken regularly.

Multidisciplinary treatment

Massage alone will never provide ideal relief from any kind of pain and a multidisciplinary approach should be taken for pain relief treatment, where massage therapy would be one of the elements. For ideal pain relief, you should practice other measures such as physical therapy, behavioral health care, acupuncture, regular exercise and use massage therapy as a complementary relief method.

Massage therapy can never be the main treatment procedure for treating pain and it is an accompanying treatment method which you should practice along with major treatment procedures. Massage therapy combined with other therapies will provide you effective pain relief.

Massage therapy for pain provides effective temporary relief from pain. It should be performed by a trained massage therapist and for good results must be performed every day. However, massage therapy is not a primary treatment measure and should be a part of a multidisciplinary approach for pain relief. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Massage Therapy for Pain - An In-Depth Analysis!

Body pain and Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is an effective way to reduce various kinds of body pains. Physiotherapy includes massages, exercises, and heat treatments to relieve pain. This treatment is often recommended as the first option to treat back and neck pain. Physiotherapy is also used to rehabilitate patients after surgery. Different kinds of exercises included in this treatment are also useful to treat sports injuries.  Here are some steps that you can take to relieve your body pain incorporating physiotherapy.

Get appropriate help

It is important to properly diagnose your condition before going for physical therapy. Seek help from a professional and if he/she recommends physiotherapy then only opt for the treatment.

Reduce your severe pain before exercising

If you are in immense pain, work to alleviate the pain before engaging in exercises. Cold/ hot therapy, massage, manual manipulation are some of the methods that can slowly reduce the pain. These are all part of physical therapy.

Exercise

Exercising has numerous health benefits including relieving back pain. As you age, your back tends to get weaker; it is important to workout to prevent future backaches. Stretching, strengthening and low- impact aerobics are ideal for this issue.

You can also try water therapy as water has a therapeutic effect on pain and makes your movements much easier than on land.

Observe your body's reaction to physical therapy

When you have just had a back or neck pain episode and try physical therapy you will feel some initial discomfort, it is expected. After you acclimatize yourself with the routine all kinds of pain will gradually diminish. The initial pain due to physiotherapy is caused because your muscles are stiff and they are being stretched the way they are not used to. However if the pain gradually increases you are probably not right for that particular kind of physical therapy.



Body pain and Physiotherapy

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