Do you want to get rid of the pain? Take care of your mind, not your body. These are the recommendations of the American College of Physicians, an organization that brings together American internists. Non-pharmacological methods of fighting pain began to be recognized not only by natural therapists, but also by doctors dealing with conventional medicine.
- The fight against chronic pain does not have to be limited to swallowing painkillers. Specialists are increasingly recommending non-pharmacological methods to patients
- The latest research shows that such methods are very effective in the fight against migraine, neuralgia or ailments typical of a degenerative disease
- In the United States alone, more than $ 100 billion is spent on recurring pain a year
Years ago, I had headaches that made me feel unresponsive. They made themselves felt when cooking or sewing curtains. At the time, I suspected that I might be allergic to natural gas or some particular type of fabric. Until one day I realized that when I was concentrating on a task, I was flexing my facial muscles.
The solution to my problem turned out to be surprisingly simple. Since then, when I was focusing on some task that was giving me a headache, I consciously relaxed my muscles. It worked.
Five decades passed and a new problem emerged – back pain. Usually he made itself felt while working in the kitchen, because of him, the simplest activities began to take more and more time. Again, I discovered that the muscles tense due to stress are responsible for the unpleasant sensations. This awareness helped me get rid of the pain.
This is not to say that any pain or discomfort can be cured by self-awareness and behavioral change. However, recent research shows that the mind and a range of non-drug treatments can be effective in relieving many types of chronic or recurrent pain, especially back pain.
As James Campbell, a neurosurgeon and pain specialist put it, “the best therapy is at hand.” The doctor also suggested that we avoid associating the pain with something terrible.
An important signal
Undoubtedly, acute pain is a signal that something is wrong with your body that needs to be addressed. On the other hand, chronic pain is not such a “useful” signal and can lead to constant suffering, especially since people are afraid of it – says the specialist.
“Unless pain is an indication that something really bad is happening, you can learn to live with it,” said Campbell, Professor Emeritus at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Too often “suffering people get caught up in a vicious circle and give up activity, which translates into a loss of muscle strength and an increase in ailments”.
Using strong painkillers can make things worse because you will require more and more doses over time. This knowledge should prompt doctors to resort to non-pharmacological and non-invasive therapies more often, some of which are effective in combating chronic pain.
Bet on “mindfulness”
The American College of Physicians’ internists recently issued new guidelines for the treatment of chronic or recurrent back pain – a condition that affects one in four adults in America. Her treatment costs $ 100 billion a year. Based on the observation that most back pain patients improve “whatever the treatment,” the medical college recommended natural methods such as surface warming, massage, acupuncture and, in some cases, chiropractic. People experiencing chronic back pain are also encouraged to try exercise, rehabilitation, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, progressive relaxation, cognitive behavioral therapy, or stress reduction training based on mindfulness / mindfulness.
Non-pharmacological pain management is considered a priority today by researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health, the US government’s medical research institution. Last year, a team of scientists led by Richard L. Nahin in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings recommended non-pharmacological treatments for common pain conditions such as back pain, fibromyalgia, severe headaches, osteoarthritis knee pain and neck pain.
Based on clinical trials, researchers found that a holistic approach “may help some patients to cope with painful conditions; acupuncture and yoga are effective for back pain; acupuncture and tai chi – for knee pain; massage therapy is recommended for neck pain; relaxation techniques can help with severe headaches and migraines. ” The benefits of massage therapy and chiropractic therapy in people experiencing back pain, and relaxation and tai chi techniques in patients with fibromyalgia have been less well documented.
Among the most recent studies, the work of Daniel C. Cherkin’s team at the University of Washington in Seattle has shown that stress reduction training based on mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy outperform “standard care”. It brings pain relief and makes it easier for patients to function in everyday life. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT for short, teaches people to change the way they think about their problems. “There is already evidence that CBT is effective in helping people with a variety of pain problems,” Cherkin said. – Our research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction training bring comparable effects in reducing disorders and pain perception.
Who will pay for it?
The cost analysis showed that the mindfulness technique – a form of meditation that helps patients “get in touch with their body and life,” as defined by Cherkin himself – turned out to be cheaper than both CBT and standard medical care.
Mindfulness techniques, which are basically a secular version of Buddhist meditation. They can be learned in eight weekly, two-hour sessions with elements of gentle yoga, Cherkin relates. Patients learn to relax, not to react to pain and not let it dominate their lives. Two years after mindfulness training or CBT therapy, patients performed better than those receiving standard pain management, the University of Washington team found.
Unfortunately, there are two more serious problems with non-pharmacological pain management. The first is that insurers generally will not be willing to pay for some, if not all, alternative therapies. And when it comes to shelling out money, many patients will prefer reimbursed drug therapy, despite its potential pitfalls.
Another challenge is the availability of these new methods. People from smaller towns may find it difficult to find a specialist in CBT or mindfulness therapy, therapeutic massage, tai chi or acupuncture.
Meanwhile, we have one more option, too often overlooked, yet easily available and usually covered by insurance: physiotherapy. If done properly, it can speed up recovery and teaches people the importance of physical activity, which often helps relieve pain.