Treatments For Pain

The following treatments have been useful in relieving pain. They may be used along with medication to provide additional pain relief. Some of these treatments may even help to limit the amount of medication required to control your pain. It is advisable to check with your doctor before beginning a complementary therapy.

• Acupressure Therapy
• Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that stimulates certain points on the body using small needles. It may help treat nausea and control pain. 
• Art Therapy uses art for therapy.
• Physical or rehabilitation therapy
• Biofeedback is the use of a special machine to help the patient learn how to control certain body functions. These are things that we are normally not aware of (such as heart rate).
• Breathing and relaxation exercises
• Chiropractic helps relieve low back pain.
• Distraction (for example, talking on the telephone, watching television or listening to relaxation tapes)
• Exercise (through the production of endorphins - natural pain killers our bodies produce)
• Hot and cold packs
• Hypnosis is a state of relaxed and focused attention. One focuses on a certain feeling, idea, or suggestion.
  
• Imagery is imagining scenes, pictures, or experiences to feel calmer or perhaps to help the body heal.
• Massage therapy brings relaxation and a sense of well-being by the gentle rubbing of different body parts or muscles. 
• Meditation
• Music Therapy is the use of music to help relieve pain.
• Pets. Yes, pets.  Pets can help in two ways. One is by starting the relaxation response (the same response that happens when people meditate). This can take your mind off of pain and elevate your mood. Second: through touch or physical contact, pets can block the transmission of pain from the periphery to the central nervous system.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation can help relieve pain in the body.
• Rest
• Soothing music may also be helpful in reducing pain. (What do you have to lose by trying it?)
  • Soothing music an hour a day has been shown to reduce pain in people with painful arthritis, herniated disks or fibromyalgia. Music listeners also improved on scores for depression and feelings of empowerment.
  • Researchers choose classical or meditative music, but other types of music that patients find relaxing works as well.
  • Researchers generally recommend listening 30 to 90 minutes a day while sitting or lying down.
  • You can assess your needs with a music therapist. You can find a music therapist through the American Music Therapy Association by e-mailing to:findMT at musictherapy dot org or call: 301.589.3300
• Spirituality has been shown to help people with rheumatoid arthritis cope with their pain more effectively and lead happier and more successful lives. Spiritual people are also less likely to see themselves as victims and to see their condition as an opportunity for personal growth. For information about spirituality, including how to find it, click here
• Visualization

NOTE: Some people have found that when they get depressed, their pain worsens. Anti-depressants can help deal with the pain, and sometimes even reduce the pain. For additional tips for coping with depression, click here.

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