Migraine Prevention And Relief
Migraine is more than a headache. Its often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and vision problems. The cause is unknown, but some experts believe its a genetic disorder of the central nervous system that may be related to epilepsy. Doctors typically recommend triptans, a medication that works on serotonin receptors, and NSAIDs. Frequent migraine may call for preventive measures, such as dietary changes, blood pressure medication or anti-seizure drugs.
Although opioids do block migraine pain, they can also lead to more severe and frequent headaches. Its easy to see how that can become a vicious cycle.
For some people, opioids are essential medicines. They provide better quality of life for patients with acute severe pain, cancer pain or pain at end-of-life. We dont want to take opioids away from people who really need them. At the same time, opioids are routinely overprescribed for conditions they were not intended to treat.
If you experience chronic pain or have a surgical procedure in your future, have a conversation with your primary doctor or a pain specialist. In the event your doctor or dentist offers to prescribe opioids, let them know youre open to non-opioid treatments. Aetnas Find a Doctor tool allows members and nonmembers to search for surgeons that offer non-opioid pain relief options.
You may be pleasantly surprised by just how effective non-opioids can be.
One Back Pain Treatment You Probably Dont Need
Back pain can be incredibly frustrating, and going under the knife may seem like the quickest, easiest fix to bring relief. But the truth is, many people dont need surgery for lower back pain management, Dr. Park says.
If your back pain is musculoskeletal, you will not require surgery, but if its a pinched nerve thats due to a disc herniation or something else, you may need to have surgery, he says. But even in those people, when you go through a six-to-eight-week course of treatment that includes physical therapy and activity modification, 85 to 90 percent of the time, they wont need surgery.
However, if you try the treatments above and dont see any improvement or still feel pain, talk to your doctor about a referral to a pain management specialist, as more specific tests or treatments may be required to get to the bottom of whats going on.
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What Are The Points To Consider When Using Back Pain Relief Products
When youre trying to choose the right product to relieve your back pain, you might get overwhelmed. This is especially true because there are so many different products out there and choosing just one can be very confusing. Different products have different functions. So, if youre looking to relieve your back pain, choose a product which you think would suit your needs. You may want to purchase a massager that you can also use to relax other body parts. Or you may want to use cream which you just need to apply to your back. Consider different products and read through their specifications. In doing this, youll be able to make a smarter choice.
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What Causes Lower Back Pain
Many injuries, conditions and diseases can cause lower back pain. They include:
- Strains and sprains: Back strains and sprains are the most common cause of back pain. You can injure muscles, tendons or ligaments by lifting something too heavy or not lifting safely. Some people strain their back by sneezing, coughing, twisting or bending over.
- Fractures: The bones in the spine can break during an accident, like a car crash or a fall. Certain conditions increase the risk of fractures.
- Disk problems: Disks cushion the vertebrae . Disks can bulge from their position in the spine and press on a nerve. They can also tear . With age, disks can get flatter and offer less protection .
- Structural problems: A condition called spinal stenosis happens when the spinal column is too narrow for the spinal cord. Something pinching the spinal cord can cause severe sciatic nerve pain and lower back pain. Scoliosis can lead to pain, stiffness and difficulty moving.
- Arthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis to cause lower back pain. Ankylosing spondylitis causes lower back pain, inflammation and stiffness in the spine.
- Disease:Spine tumors, infections and several types of cancer can cause back pain. Other conditions can cause back pain, too. These include kidney stones and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
- Spondylolisthesis: This condition causes the vertebrae in the spine to slip out of place. Spondylolisthesis leads to low back pain and often leg pain as well.
Nsaids Vs Opioids: Was There A Clear Winner
A recent study compared oral NSAIDs and oral opioids for relief of osteoarthritis pain. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital performed a meta-analysis . They included clinical trials in which patients with knee osteoarthritis were chosen at random to receive treatment that lasted at least 2 months.
The researchers carefully chose which studies to include, and two members of the team independently reviewed each study and extracted the data. They selected studies that used a common, well-validated, and widely-accepted measure of pain . Data from over 5,500 patients were included, and the researchers found that, on average, oral NSAID treatment reduced pain by around 18 points on the WOMAC scale. Treatment with less potent oral opioids also reduced pain by around 18 points, and potent oral opioids reduced pain by around 19 points on the WOMAC scale. Since, on average, patients started out with pain ratings of around 50-60 out of 100, each of these medications achieved around a 30% reduction in patients pain.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Opioid Misuse
Unfortunately, it is part of the nature of painkillers that they become less effective over time. This is partly because your body will adjust to the medication and develop a tolerance, which means your body will require higher doses of the drug to get the same effect.
There are certain signs that your therapeutic use of opioids has crossed into the territory of addiction.
Signs to be aware of include:
- Exhibiting compulsive behaviors to get the drug and continue to use it
- Taking the medication to get high or relieve anxiety rather than to relieve pain
- Needing to take a higher dose of medication to feel the same effects that you used to experience at lower dosages
- Using pain medication in amounts or at times that are not consistent with your doctors prescriptionespecially if you are misleading your doctor or pharmacist to do so
If you recognize these behaviors or are concerned about your use of pain medication, its important to talk to your healthcare provider.
Opioid Addiction Discussion Guide
It has also become common for fentanyl to be used in counterfeit drugs or be cut into illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. This practice adds to the dangers of these drugs because users are often unaware that they contain fentanyl.
Treatments For Lower Back Pain
For chronic pain, its important to address the root cause as well as the role stress plays in magnifying pain. People with lower-back problems, for instance, benefit most from a treatment plan that includes medication plus physical therapy, acupuncture and/or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Research shows that opioids, though effective at blocking short-term pain signals, dont offer much help for people with chronic pain. Thats because opioids become less effective the longer you take them.
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The Best Otc Pain Reliever For: Backache
If your back hurts after heavy lifting or other physical exertion, consider naproxen . This NSAID differs from pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin in that it takes longer to work, but its pain-relieving effect lasts longer, making it the better choice for deeper aches and pains, says Dr. Gupta.
You could also try an over-the-counter transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device . It works by electrical nerve stimulation that can block pain receptors and trigger your body to release endorphins, your bodys natural pain blockers. However, pregnant women and people with pacemakers or epilepsy should avoid TENS as they may experience complications, suggests a 2020 review of studies published in StatPearls.
% Of People Will Experience Back Pain At Some Time But There Are Ways To Find Relief
As people enter middle age, they are more likely to experience bouts of low back pain. In fact, according to the Harvard Special Health Report Men’s Health: Fifty and Forward, back pain affects about four in five Americans at some point in their lives and equally strikes men and women.
Age is often the culprit. Over time, the bones and joints in your lower back begin to change. Your discs tend to wear out and sometimes become fragmented. These structural alterations sometimes cause pain.
Another cause of low back pain, although it occurs less often, is a herniated disc. Sometimes, a disc pushes outside the space between the bones and compresses a nerve at the point where it branches off the spinal cord. When the sciatic nerve that leads into the buttocks and leg is affected, the pain is called sciatica.
Yet, most cases of low back pain stem from strain or sprain due to simple overuse, unaccustomed activity, excessive lifting, or an accident. In most cases the best move is to wait and see if the pain resolves on its own. If the pain does not improve after three to four days, then it’s time to see a doctor.
However, depending on the source of your back pain and its severity, you might try a few home remedies for low back pain to help ease the pain until your back returns to normal. Here are several options to consider:
Complementary therapies. Several types of complementary therapy may be helpful for relief from low back pain. These include:
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For Nighttime Relief: Motrin Pm
Dosage: 200 mg ibuprofen and 38 mg diphenhydramine citrate
Why experts recommend it:
The two active ingredients in Motrin PM help when you have trouble sleeping due to pain.
How it works:
Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to help relieve allergy symptoms. There is evidence that Some types of antihistamines can cause drowsiness, whichhelps a person sleep better or fall asleep faster.
How to use Motrin PM:
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Use as directed on the label or as instructed by your doctor
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If NSAIDs cause you to have gastrointestinal problems try taking them with food
Precautions when taking Motrin PM:
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Do not take Motrin PM for longer than 10 days or at higher doses unless instructed by your doctor
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People who take NSAIDs may have a higher heart attack or stroke risks than people who do not take these medications
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Do not drive or operate heavy machinery due to drowsiness from diphenhydramine
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There are increased risks of falls for those over 65 years of age do not take unless directed by your doctor
Common side effects of Motrin PM:
More serious side effects of Motrin PM:
Can You Get Neuropathy In Your Back
Yes, you can get neuropathy in your back . Having neuropathy in your back can be wildly disabling, painful, and disruptive to your daily life. Identifying if you have this condition in your back can be difficult since there can be many causes of distressing back pain.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have neuropathy in your back:
- Sharp, shooting, stabbing, or shock-like pain radiating from your lower back into your legs
- Burning in your lower back and/or legs
- Pins-and-needles sensation in your back and/or legs
- Weakness, numbness, or tingling in your legs
Neuropathy in your back can be caused by nerve damage due to metabolic conditions , infections , trauma, injuries, inflammation, tumors, or toxins. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms to figure out the best course of action.
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Pain Management For Chronic Back Pain
Pain, especially intractable or chronic pain, used to be something many patients simply had to learn to live with. In recent years, however, researchers have learned a great deal about pain and its physiological and psychological basis, leading to pain management treatments that can provide complete or partial pain relief.
Untreated pain can interfere with the healing process by affecting the immune system and leading to other undesirable results. In cases of back pain, discomfort can impede the rehabilitation process by interfering with exercise and increasing the risk of psychological distress.
This article profiles the profession of Pain Management and the main approaches used to treat chronic pain.
Medications For Neck & Back Pain
OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN RELIEVERS
Over-the-counter means you can buy them without a prescription.
Most health care providers recommend acetaminophen first because it has fewer side effects than other drugs. Do not take more than 3 grams on any one day, or over 24 hours. Overdosing on acetaminophen can cause severe damage to your liver. If you already have liver disease, ask your doctor if acetaminophen is OK for you to take.
If your pain continues, your provider may suggest nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . You can buy some NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, without a prescription. NSAIDs help reduce the swelling around the swollen disk or arthritis in the back.
NSAIDs and acetaminophen in high doses, or if taken for a long time, can cause serious side effects. Side effects include stomach pain, ulcers or bleeding, and kidney or liver damage. If side effects occur, stop taking the drug right away and tell your provider.
If you are taking pain relievers for more than a week, tell your provider. You may need to be watched for side effects.
MUSCLE RELAXANTS
Your provider may prescribe a medicine called a muscle relaxant. Despite its name, it does not work directly on muscles. Instead, it works through your brain and spinal cord.
This drug is often given along with over-the-counter pain relievers to relieve the symptoms of back pain or muscle spasm.
Examples of muscle relaxants include:
ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Antidepressants most often used for back pain are:
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Read The Active Ingredients
Topicals containing NSAIDs like lidocaine or diclofenac work by reducing inflammation, which can help address the root of your discomfort. Other ingredients work by delivering a distracting sensation:
- âCooling:â Menthol, methyl salicylate and camphor
- âWarming:â Capsaicin
All can be effective for helping you manage your pain, depending on the type of relief you’re looking for, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
How Do I Safely Take Otc Pain Relievers
Read the directions on the label before taking any medicine. Learn how much to take and how often to take it. If you have questions about how much medicine to take, call your doctor.
Follow these tips to make sure you are taking the right amount of medicine:
- Take only the amount recommended on the medicines label. Taking more than recommended can be dangerous. Dont assume more medicine will work better or quicker.
- If youre taking a prescription medicine, ask your doctor if its okay to take an OTC pain reliever at the same time.
- Dont use more than 1 OTC pain reliever at a time unless your doctor says its okay. They may have similar active ingredients. Taking more than 1 can cause you to take too much medicine. It can also lead to other health problems.
Keep a list of which OTC medicines youre taking and keep track of when you take them. If you go to the doctor, take this list with you.
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Can Back Surgery Cause Neuropathy
Yes, back surgery can cause neuropathy. Many people are surprised to hear this, as you usually go into back surgery with the hopes of alleviating back pain. Sometimes, though, back surgery can cause a compression of your spinal vertebrae, leading to back pain and neuropathy in either your back or feet.
Unfortunately, neuropathic pain after spinal surgery is a frequently observed entity. It can affect your back directly or also include your legs. If this is the case for you, a few treatment options are especially useful to those suffering from neuropathy caused by spinal surgery.
Those treatment options include:
Efficacy Of Strong Painkillers For Back Pain
Painkillers such as opioids and NSAIDs can be quite effective for minimizing the intensity of chronic pain, but they arent the end-all solution by themselves. Patients are usually required to take other medication that treats the underlying issue along with these painkillers for effective treatment.
The type and dosage of painkillers also tend to depend on the line of treatment chosen for the disease, as doctors need to ensure the two medications dont interfere with each other. Painkillers prevent you from feeling the pain by interacting with your bodys nerve endings, cells, neurological system, and brain.
These nerve endings are present throughout your body. Low back pain can be detected by some of these nerve endings in addition to discomfort in other areas. Your bodys cells release substances known as prostaglandins when they are injured or harmed.
Nerve endings are particularly sensitive to this substance and use it to detect pain. When prostaglandin is released, the nerve endings react by sending pain and injury signals to the brain via the neurological system. These signals communicate to the brain the location and intensity of the pain.
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What Is The Main Cause Of Neuropathy
In the vast majority of cases, the nerves will become damaged or dysfunctional after injury or trauma. This can cause hypersensitivity to pain. The nerves will then send fault signals of pain even after the injury has fully healed. The initial injury could have occurred in either the central or the peripheral nervous system, and neuropathy can still be triggered.
