Conservative Pain Management
Conservative management is an approach to treat any kind of pain by utilizing non-surgical treatment options. Many cases of pain can be managed by one or more conservative methods. That is why in non-emergency conditions, conservative management is preferred to avoid the risks associated with surgery.
Conservative treatments for pain include:
- Physical Therapy: Physical therapy makes use of special physical techniques to treat pain.
Patients are rehabilitated to use their own muscles by following various techniques like:
- Strengthening exercises
- Stretching
- Massage
- Low impact aerobics
- Ergonomics
Advantages of Physical Therapy:
- Strengthens muscles
- Increases the flexibility and range of motion of the injured part
- Better functionality of the impaired structure
- Relaxes body
- TENS: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy uses electrical stimulations through electrodes applied on the skin particularly at the area of pain. The electrodes produce low-voltage electrical current that energises the nerves present in the affected area. Thus a signal is sent to the brain that reduces pain.>
Advantages of TENS:
- Painless and effective procedure
- Remarkably reduces pain
- Relaxes muscles
- Decreases pain related discomfort
- Psychological Treatment: Pain has a severe effect on the personality of an individual. A person suffering from pain may show anger, sadness, despair or hopelessness. These may, in turn, disrupt the sleep, create depression and interfere with work. The psychological treatment helps in treating such disabilities by using safe and non-drug methods for pain relief like:
- Educating the person about indirect consequences of pain
- Teach the skills to face problem
- Discussing the pain with the person and listening to their sufferings
- Advising Yoga & Meditation
Advantages of Psychological treatment:
- Reduces high-level stress
- Give relief from pain
- Relaxes mind, body and soul
- Reduces pain related anxiety
- Bioelectric Therapy: Bioelectric therapy works by blocking pain messages to the brain and motivating the body to produce chemical called endorphins. Although the blocking of pain messages induces painful sensations in the body but these sensations are controlled by endorphins.
Advantages of Bioelectric therapy:
- Controls pain in acute conditions such as muscle pain, back pain, arthritis and headaches
- Relaxes the body that is generally for a brief period of time
- Exercise: In most of the cases of pain, usually short period rest is recommended for easing pain.
But if the rest increases the pain then exercise often helps to erase pain in long-term disease
condition. Following exercises may ease the pain:
- Stretching
- Flexibility exercises
- Swimming
- Walking
- erobics
- Yoga etc.
Advantages of exercise:
- Improves flexibility
- Increases muscle strength
- Eases pain
- Maximizes physical abilities