Does Pain Management Work?

Once opioids were understood as last resort only, Western allopathic medicine really changed the way they approach pain. Unfortunately, the public's response to pain and idea of pain relief hasn't. That makes for a lot of patients complaining that pain management doesn’t work. That both is and is not true. There have been a lot of advancements in our understanding of pain, not as much though in how to relieve it. Where the gap really lies is in your idea that you can take a pill and it will go away. Perhaps, if you have a headache, or strained your elbow, any over-the-counter NSAID help. But if you have persistent headaches, or your elbow pain is not from a strain, then, you're in a whole new world. Don't Deny Your Pain Let's start with your response to pain—delay and denial. I get it, you think you're invincible. Especially if still in your 20s. But to not accurately assess the damage your body has endured sets you up for really bad results. I don't like taking pills, so I rarely do for a headache. Of course, I rarely get headaches. And when I do, I think it'll go away, so I don't take anything until it's so bad I get grouchy. That's because, after 24 years of chronic pain, I recognize grouchiness as a symptom of pain. Do you? Most of the current pain treatments that yield relief without causing addiction don't work as fast as an opioid. So, you're delay or denial strategy really works against you here. With chronic pain, that's amplified. There are plenty of pain management strategies that work quite well. There's a wide variety of practitioners now who are pain specialists: pain psychologists, movement specialists, meditation practitioners, physiatrists, a whole cottage industry has sprung up. While movement specialists often focus on Parkinson's and stroke, a lot of that research is beneficial in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. That's great news for you. But since these modalities don't work nearly as fast as taking a pill, you waiting until the pain is unbearable means you won't get fast results. Treatment Without Insurance There are healthcare access deserts in system that make seeing a medical doctor difficult. Try an acupuncture school clinic for treatment. A movement specialist probably wouldn't be covered on insurance anyway. Still, there are plenty of gyms and other organizations that provide free tai chi in the park. You will get pain relief from tai chi. And you don't have to wait until you have unbearable pain to join a class. In fact, the sooner you do, the faster you'll get relief. You may even prevent some pain. I've been meditating daily for over 40 years. That doesn't just mean I'm ready to go with the mindfulness techniques that have shown real benefit with chronic pain. It also means that my meditation practice has advanced enough to allow me to adapt to new strategies with consistency quickly. This did not happen overnight for me and it won't for you either. Accessing Research Facilities I found that sometimes you can get the best treatments for free through clinical trials. It generally takes 7 to 10 years for medical research to reach the clinical level. So, there may be a very good treatment available that you know nothing about. Medications aren't the only subject of clinical trials either. I recently joined an Alzheimer's study. Alzheimer's runs in my family on my mother's side. I volunteered for a study but wound up not qualifying after they ran some preliminary tests. It was good news. But the research facility still wanted to study me, I'm a good research subject. So, they put me in a different study tracking memory loss over time. I learned how to reduce my risk for the disease, am now part of their research system, and I’m helping scientific advancement for the next guy. Fortunately, the best treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is movement. Stretching, meditation, relaxation techniques, heat and yes, those topical creams are all relatively inexpensive. You'll still have to find the right combination to address your unique pain, so allow for some time. Don't Get Frustrated Lastly, even if you feel your pain management clinic isn’t helping you, go anyway. You need a good month to accurately assess the efficacy of a treatment. Pain specialists are still the best experts you have right now. Try all the solutions they give you. Even if they don't work right away. And don't forget to give them feedback. That's how you discover new treatments.