Everyone who lives with chronic pain understands just how debilitating it can be. There may be times when it feels as if no relief or escape from the overwhelming discomfort is possible. If not kept under control, it can lead to stress, anxiety, severe depression, and a serious impact on quality of life. Moreover, in a worst case scenario, it may also impact on relationships with family and friends. If you are trying to cope with chronic pain, be it by yourself or with guidance from a medical specialist, the following tips and advice may help to improve your situation.
To start with, you should understand what triggers the discomfort, and make changes to your life and routine to minimize flare ups. Be aware of the limitations that exist because of your condition. If you try and push yourself to do more than what you should, you could exacerbate the problem. It is important to face up to the reality of your physical state and your age, try and not get frustrated at being less active and mobile, accept your current health and focus on what you can do rather than what you cannot.
If you are following a prescription drug management plan, and feel that you are not getting the expected level of relief, it is important to talk to your doctor. Some anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers are more effective for specific conditions than others, if one does not work you may need to change to another.
Vitamin supplements can be effective in reducing inflammation and building bone and muscle tissue. For example, vitamin C and vitamin D supplements should be taken daily to try and improve you condition. It may be the case that you are not getting enough of these essential nutrients through your diet.
You may find that a physical therapist or a massage therapist can help you to strengthen your body and reduce episodes of pain. Moving and stretching can reduce cramping and repair nerve damage, ask your doctor whether they can recommend a therapist to use.
A good nights sleep can work wonders. When asleep, the body can heal from the stresses and trauma it has been subjected to. Try and adhere to a regular sleeping routine, this should involve at least seven hours of deep sleep each night. If you do not sleep well, this can also take a toll on your mental well-being.
Your diet can also have an impact on the amount of inflammation in the body. Foods that contain a lot of sugar, and which are high on the glycemic index should be reduced or cut out altogether. Try and boost your intake of ginger, garlic, and onion as these are known to reduce inflammation.
Apart from the above mentioned tips, the application of heat bands on affected parts of the body can also bring relief. Chronic pain is a condition that can be dealt with and reduced, all that is needed is the right approach and an understanding of the underlying cause.
Filed under Uncategorized by on Sep 4th, 2011. Comment. 
“All this stress – it’s giving me a headache!” How many times have you heard someone say something similar, or even said such a thing yourself? It’s a common sentiment, and it’s based in reality. Stress can manifest itself in all sorts of physical symptoms.
Work, money, relationships, and just life in general can all cause stress. And stress can cause headaches, joint pain, eyestrain and other problems. But experts suggest that, often times, headaches are not caused by stress. Rather, the headaches are caused by a condition known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. It’s this condition – referred to as TMJ – which is actually causing the headaches, joint pain and other supposed stress-related conditions. It’s a vicious circle – the TMJ creates the headaches, persistent headaches lead to stress, and the stress then further intensifies the headaches.
“TMJ can cause an unending cycle of pain and stress for the sufferer,” says Dr. Dennis Ikuta, a Reedley, California neuromuscular dentist. “By going to a neuromuscular dentist to treat the symptoms of your TMJ, you can alleviate the pain and stress it may be causing.”
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder: What is it?
Some estimates place TMJ as the third most common health problem in the United States today, yet not many people have actually heard about it. The problem with TMJ is that it is hard to diagnose, and has a myriad of symptoms. Some of the most common ones include headaches, toothaches, blurred vision, tingling in the arms, neck pain, and a clicking sound in the jaw.
So what is TMJ? TMJ is a disorder that arises when the jaw is improperly aligned, and it can cause many different painful symptoms. It can be a genetic condition, or the result of an accident. Regardless, when your jawbones and muscles are “out of whack,” problems can occur throughout your body.
So why, if TMJ is so common, is it so commonly misdiagnosed? The answer is surprising. The experts in TMJ aren’t typically doctors. Rather, the experts are neuromuscular dentists.
Neuromuscular Dentists Know TMJ
Neuromuscular dentists have additional, post-dental-school training at neuromuscular dentistry schools. Aside from learning about veneers, bleaching, and other traditional dental procedures, neuromuscular dentists also learn how to prevent these procedures from affecting the temporomandibular joint, as well as diagnose and treat TMJ and other structural disorders of the neck and jaw.
Diagnosing TMJ requires both expertise and special equipment. A computer model is made of your jaw and bite pattern, which allows your dentist to see exactly what’s wrong. Treatment for TMJ depends on the severity and extent of the individual’s condition. It could involve something as extensive as surgery, or something as simple as custom-made mouth apparatus. Typically, most cases are treated – at least partially – by the TENS system, which uses electrical pulses to eliminate the TMJ pain.
Say Goodbye to Stress
If you suffer from persistent headaches, you owe it to yourself to visit with a neuromuscular dentist. You might be suffering from TMJ. If so, you deserve treatment – treatment for TMJ will relieve the symptoms, and the subsequent stress that is often associated with chronic pain.
Diagnosing and treating TMJ is usually simple – if you know where to look! Often, that means scheduling an appointment with a neuromuscular dentist. They’re the TMJ experts! So if you suffer from unexplained headaches, jaw pain and the like, just remember: it might not be stress, it might be TMJ.
By: Patricia Woloch
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Filed under What Is A Tens Machine? by on Jul 28th, 2011. Comment.
Stress’ is a condition which can disturb the normal physical and mental health of an individual. It is defined in Oxford Dictionary as “a state of affair involving demand on physical or mental energy”.
Stress is a regarded as twentieth century syndrome. Modern life Daily hassles and demands, exhausting work schedule and major life events such as a divorce, death, midlife crisis, financial worries, persistent strain of caring for a chronically sick child, nagging health problems or managing a physically or mentally challenged family member can act as potential stressors. A sudden unemployment or lay-off from a job can leave you under tremendous stress.
Stressful depends on various factors, including your personality, problem-solving abilities, and social support system. Stress conditions can be real or just perceived by you. Our brain reacts to both causes of stress by releasing stress hormones equal to the degree of stress felt. The brain cannot differentiate between real and imagined stress. In challenging situations the brain prepares the body for some defensive actions—the fight or flight response by releasing hormones, namely, cortisone and adrenaline. These hormones raise the blood pressure and prepare the body to react according to the situation. It could happen while watching a movie or when one is apprehensive of some imminent danger.
Listing the potential causes of stress is tricky and highly individual. Stress factors react differently from person to person as Extreme stress situations for an individual may prove to be mild for another. Stress symptoms depend partly on the nature of the stressor itself and partly on your own personal and external resources.
Some External causes of stress.
An unsafe neighborhood, pollution, noise, and uncomfortable living conditions can produce a stress situation (flight response) the hormones and chemicals remain unreleased in the blood stream for a long period of time. It results in stress related physical symptoms such as tense muscles, unfocused anxiety, dizziness and increased rate of pulse. For people living in war-torn regions, the stress may be unrelenting.
Relationship demands mental health. Problems with friends and family members are valid causes of stress. Marital disagreements, dysfunctional relationships, rebellious teens, or caring for a chronically-ill family member or a child with special needs compels the mind and body to be in an almost constant alarm-state in preparation to fight or flee. This also can increase the risk of both acute and chronic psychosomatic illnesses and weaken the immune system of the human body.
Pressure at workplaces – In our career-driven society work can be a source of stress. Work stress is caused by things such as job dissatisfaction, insufficient pay, office politics, meeting deadline, and conflicts with co-workers. These factors can trigger stress conditions.
Social situations can cause stress. Poverty, financial pressures, racial and sexual discrimination or harassment, isolation, and a lack of social support all induced adverse feelings and anxieties.
Internal Causes of Stress
Stress can also be self-generated. Internal causes of stress include…Pessimistic attitude, low self-esteem, excessive or unexpressed anger, lack of assertiveness, unrealistic expectations from others and Self-criticism.
By: Bryan Len
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Filed under Now You Can Learn To Cure Stress Fast And Naturally by on Jul 25th, 2011. Comment.
