5 Ways to Manage Your Pain at Home
Pain is something every human being will deal with at some point during
the course of their lives. Pain comes in various forms, intensities and
frequencies. Pain affects each person differently and I am sure you have
heard people say, “I have a high (or low) tolerance for pain.” Pain is one of
the most common reasons someone will visit their healthcare provider.
Pain can be managed in many ways, to include medications, surgeries,
acupuncture, massage and physical therapy, to name a few. It can also be
managed through interventions you can do at home.
1. Hot/cold therapies
Many people will use hot packs or cold packs to help manage their
intermittent chronic pain complaints and even their acute pain after an
injury. There are many options out there for heat therapy to include a dry
heating pad, a rice pack that can be heated in the microwave and even
moist heat that mimics what might be found at a therapy clinic. Many of
these can be purchased, but you can make your own moist heat pack at
home.
Hot pack recipe:
Take a hand towel and wet it and wring it out. Then place it in a gallon
ziplock bag, but do not close the bag. Microwave the bag for 30 sec to 1
min based on your microwave wattage and how hot you want it to be. BE
CAREFUL when removing the bag from the microwave (may want to use
hot pads) and zip bag up. Place multiple layers of towels around the bag to
allow heat to come through, but protect and not burn your skin. The bag
will gradually cool in the next 20 minutes.
Cold therapy is also a treatment of choice for some individuals to combat
their pain. Some popular options include the use of frozen corn or peas
(but DON’T eat them after freezing and thawing multiple times) and gel
packs that can be purchased at a store or online. We do have a recipe for
you to make your own cold pack at home.
Cold pack recipe:
Place a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part rubbing alcohol (you can use more
alcohol for even more of a gel consistency, based on your preference) in a
gallon ziplock bag and then place that in another bag to help w/ any
possible leakage. Close the bag and place in the freezer. The bag will
achieve the consistency of a gel pack and not freeze hard.
2. Electrical modalities
This category would include options like a TENS unit or any over -the -
counter stimulation unit. This can be very effective in managing someone's
chronic pain complaints, especially if the pain consistently occurs in certain
positions or with certain activities so one can apply this modality before or
during the activity to help mitigate the pain. A note of caution, however.
There are certain conditions and body areas where the use of an electrical
device is not recommended. You need to speak with your doctor or
licensed healthcare provider before purchasing and using these devices.
3. Natural or supplemental topical or oral treatments
Other options that are used by many include natural over the counter oral
supplements for pain or inflammation. Over the counter topical
medications/patches, some examples include Biofreeze or IcyHot, are used
to manage complaints. CBD is the up and coming pain management
topical or sublingual of choice for many people. Do your research before
choosing any of these options. You would want to make sure and speak
with your doctor or healthcare provider before using any topical or oral
supplements to make sure there would be no interactions with any other
medications or modalities you are currently using.
4. Exercise program
Exercise has so many health benefits to the body and one of those can be
assistance with pain control, especially for pain related to joint pain or
arthritis. As with some of the other home management options, this is one
you will want to speak with your doctor or physical therapist about before
starting off on an exercise regime. There are so many options available for
managing pain complaints, from walking programs, stretching and
movement programs, like Tai-Chi or yoga, to aquatic programs.
5. Postural adjustments
Some of the pain people experience is directly related to the postures they
employ or find themselves in during work or leisure activities. The pain will
not magically go away unless you play an active part in removing or
adjusting the offending positions. These adjustments can be as simple as
adding a towel roll to your pillow to support your neck while sleeping or
placing a small towel or wedge in your chair to improve your pelvic
alignment and consequently improve the entire alignment up the spinal
chain. I recommend talking with a physical therapist to learn about the
specific adjustments needed for you and your individual problems. You
can then continue to use these adjustments to make yourself as
comfortable as possible.
These are a few of the many possibilities that exist for people to try and
manage their pain. If you find home remedies are not enough to control
your pain complaints then you may need to seek further options from your
doctor or other healthcare provider. Your Fyzical Therapist at Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers in Mechanicsburg is always available to answer your questions.
To make an appointment call 717-591-3000 or click here