Feeling The Winter Pain
With the chilly winds barrelling through the Huon and the icy stillness of the early morning, many of us seem to experience more pain than usual during this time of year.
Medications do have their place in the management of pain, especially for short term pain.
Problems can occur when short term pain turns into chronic pain.
This is not only physically debilitating but also emotionally debilitating.
Chronic pain can be the result of past injuries or surgery, back problems, arthritis, nerve pain, infections, fibromyalgia and a myriad of other conditions.
It may present as a general soreness or stiffness, throbbing pain, shooting pain, stinging, burning or a dull ache.
The problem with chronic pain is that it self-perpetuates as the pain can affect your sleep and mental health making you feel even more pain.
It is important to realise that help is available from many different health care professionals with the aim of having the best quality of life possible, hopefully pain free.
The first step is obviously your local GP who will attempt to diagnose and treat the cause of the pain.
Your GP may prescribe medications to relieve the pain in the short-term, prescribe medications to relieve depression, refer you to specialist doctors or surgeons or refer you onto to other allied health professionals for additional specialised treatment.
Allied health professionals that may be able to help include:
- Psychologist – help deal with depression or other mental health issues.
- Physiotherapist – help you develop stronger muscles to add core stability and reduce aches and pains from muscles or stiff joints or provide specialised massage to relieve muscle and joint soreness.
- Chiropractor – help more specifically with back pain or pain that is emanating from the back into the shoulders, arms or legs.
- Dietician – lose weight with a tailored eating plan to reduce the strain on your body.
- Personal Trainer – help you build strength for extra stability to lessen pain and improve movement.
There are many options to treating pain and many health care professionals that can help you achieve a pain-free life.
It is a matter of finding the combination that suits you and gives you the best relief.