Posts Tagged ‘pain’

Fighting pain with a vegetarian diet and weight loss drugs

March 13th, 2009

The impact of diet on pain rests on the fact that inflammation is a major cause of pain. So, the theory goes, if you can reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body, you can reduce the pain.

For instance, studies find that certain antioxidants such as glutathione can help tissue recover from inflammation. One study found that supplementing with the nutrient n-acetyl-cystine, a precursor to glutathione, can reduce pain from nerve damage.

Other dietary-related evidence:

  • The nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondrotin sulfate can benefit patients with osteoarthritis.
  • Dietary soy and tart cherries contain antioxidants that may reduce neuropathic pain. In fact, cherries, which are high in anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, plant-based chemicals that give the fruit its dark red color, have been linked anecdotally to reduction of pain in arthritis and gout, with animals studies showing it can reduce swelling and inflammation in rats.
  • Sweet foods (think chocolate) can stimulate the release of pain-relieving endorphins in the brain.

One way to avoid common back pain is to lose weight. Obesity is sometimes the primary cause of discomfort and often a contributor to the worsening of a back pain condition. Losing weight for back pain is a great treatment option that is free and self regulated. The added benefit of a back pain diet is an improvement in your overall health and appearance. 

 Popular and professional wisdom has promoted eating fruits and vegetables as a cornerstone of good health. But now a new book claims it’s also a powerful method of fighting pain.

In his new book, “Foods That Fight Pain,” Dr. Neal Barnard says a very low-fat vegetarian diet balances hormones and can reduce menstrual pain.

“Cutting down on fat also reduces the amount of estrogen in a woman’s body, the female sex hormone,” he said. “There will still be enough there, but not the excesses and that seems to then reduce menstrual pain.”

Althea Bacon believes in Barnard’s approach. For years, she suffered from so much menstrual pain that, at times, she couldn’t work. But today, she’s pain-free and she says that’s thanks to a strict vegetarian diet — a lot different than the way she used to eat.

“I think I had the typical American diet — lots of fat, grease, meat,” she said.

The food/pain connection doesn’t stop there. Barnard said his low-fat diet eases arthritis, migraines and even pain from a bad back.

“What happens is the arteries that nourish the spine get clogged with plaque,” he said. “So it’s the high fat, high cholesterol foods that cause the problem, and it’s the very low-fat, zero cholesterol foods that we believe have the promise of opening those arteries again.”   But the back pain theory has its skeptics.

“Because there are many causes to back pain, and often we don’t find the exact cause for the person, I think to think that one therapy, like there’s a magic bullet or magic diet that will cure all back pain, is wrong.” said Dr. Brian Berman of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Plus, a dietitian points out, even if a very low-fat vegetarian diet diminishes pain, it may not be a practical for most Americans.

“10 percent of fat is very extreme, (a) very severe limitation of fat in the diet.” said Joanne Hattner of the American Dietetic Association.

Some experts do agree that food may play a role in relieving certain types of pain, such as menstrual pain. But they say there just isn’t enough evidence yet to claim a low-fat vegetarian diet can heal an aching back.

Taking a lot of weight loss drugs is a very good way to lose weight. Acomplia (rimonabant) is the first in a new class of therapeutic agents called Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Blockers (CB1).
Acomplia is used in the treatment of obesity and related conditions.

Acomplia acts by selectively blocking CB1 receptors found in the brain and in peripheral organs important in glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism, including adipose tissue, the liver, gastrointestinal tract and muscle.   Acomplia switches off the same brain circuits that make people hungry when they smoke cannabis.

CB1 receptor blockade with Acomplia acts to decrease the overactivity of the endocannabinoid system (EC system)2,3. The EC system is a recently characterised physiological system that includes receptors such as the CB1 receptor and it has been shown to play an important role in regulating body weight and in controlling energy balance, as well as glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism.

If you are going to reduce your pain by taking weight loss drugs, please go to Acomplia online pharmacy to buy your online acomplia. It is the cheapest price we have found.

Pain Treatment Continuum

March 6th, 2009

pain treatmetn continuum

Remember the goals of treatment are to reduce pain and improve both emotional and physical functioning in a practical and cost-effective way. Figure 1 is an example of an approach to trying therapies in a logical way, trying therapies that are least invasive to therapies that are more invasive. We call this a Pain Treatment Continuum.

 Therapies to reduce pain are either pharmacologic (pain medications), functional restorative (physical and occupational therapies), cognitive behavioral (helping one cope with the emotional and behavioral aspects of pain), or a combination of the two.

How to therapy back pain?

March 6th, 2009

Because there are many different treatment options – both invasive and non-invasive — physicians try to use therapies in a way that makes sense. In some people, non-invasive therapies work well. When non-invasive therapies work well, patients do not have to undergo more invasive treatments. Sometimes, non-invasive and invasive therapies are used together to complement each other. Also, some therapies are used only for very specific pain generators. For example, facet joint injections and facet joint radiofrequency thermocoagulation (destroying the little nerves that innervate the joint) only help with facet joint pain and will not help the pain of sprain or strain or even discogenic pain.

Table 1: Therapies for back pain
 

Non-invasive therapies

Invasive therapies

Complementary therapies

Exercise

Epidural steroid injections

Chiropractic therapies

Meditation

Facet joint injections

Acupuncture

Physical therapy

Sympathetic nerve blocks

Acupressure

Occupational therapy

Selective nerve root epidural injections

Chi Gong

Pain-directed psychological treatments to improve coping styles

Radiofrequency thermal ablation of nerve roots and facet joints

Tai Chi

Over-the-counter pain medications

IDET (intradiscal electro-thermal coagulation) of the nucleus

Yoga

Medications prescribed by your physician

Nucleoplasty (burning the nucleus)

Nutricuitcals

Manual manipulation

Annuloplasty (burning the pain generator in the fibrous annulus)

Magnet therapy

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation, TENS

Microsurgical discectomy

Aroma therapy

H-wave stimulation

Major surgeries: laminectomy, foraminotomy, discectomy, fusions

Herbal remedies

Orthotics

Neuromodulation including spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, brain stimulation, and morphine pumps

Homeopathy

 

Proliferant therapy

Ayervedic medical practice

 

Because back pain stems from a variety of causes, treatment goals are pain relief and restored movement. The basic treatment for relieving back pain from strain or minor injury is rest. An ice pack can be helpful, as can aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce pain and inflammation. After the inflammation subsides, applying heat can soothe muscles and connective tissue.

Long-term bed rest is not only no longer considered necessary for most cases of back pain, it is actually potentially harmful, making recovery slower and potentially causing new problems. In most cases, you will be expected to start normal, nonstrenuous activity (such as walking) within 24 to 72 hours. After that you should begin controlled exercise or physical therapy. Physical therapy treatments may employ massage, ultrasound, whirlpool baths, controlled application of heat, and individually tailored exercise programs to help you regain full use of the back. Strengthening both the abdominal and back muscles helps stabilize the spine. You can prevent further back injury by learning — and doing — gentle stretching exercises and proper lifting techniques, and maintaining good posture.

If back pain keeps you from normal daily activities, your doctor can help by recommending or prescribing pain medications. Over-the-counter painkillers such as Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen can be helpful. Your doctor may prescribe prescription strength anti-inflammatories/pain medicines or may prefer to prescribe combination opioid/acetaminophen medications such as Vicodin or Percocet. Some doctors also prescribe muscle relaxants. But beware, these medications have their main effect on the brain, not the muscles, and often cause drowsiness.

If your primary doctor isn’t able to help you control back pain, he/she may refer you to a back specialist or a pain specialist. Sometimes these doctors will use injections of steroids or anesthetics to help control the pain. Some newer treatments have been developed recently to help with the treatment of pain. One of these is radiofrequency ablation, a process of delivering electrical stimulation to specific nerves to make them less sensitive to pain, or by delivering enough electricity to actually destroy the nerve to prevent further pain. A similar type of procedure that delivers heat to a herniated disc can shrink the disc so that it no longer bulging onto the nerve root causing pain. Other medicines such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants are sometimes prescribed to help with pain related to irritated nerves.

Knowing the cause of the pain and fixing the problem if possible should be primary in the course of your treatment, however.

Some physicians advocate using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS), although whether TENS is clearly helpful for back pain has not been resolved. Electrodes taped to the body carry a mild electric current that helps relieve pain. After appropriate training, patients can use TENS on their own to help reduce pain while they recover from strained or moderately injured backs.

Surgery for nonspecific back pain is a last resort. In cases of persistent pain from extreme nerve damage, rhizotomy — surgically severing a nerve — may be necessary to stop transmission of pain to the brain. Rhizotomy can correct the symptoms caused by friction between the surfaces in a spinal joint, but it doesn’t address other problems, such as herniated discs.

Chiropractors have a role in the treatment of back pain. The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recognizes spinal manipulation by chiropractors and osteopaths as effective for acute low-back pain. Its effectiveness for treating chronic back pain is less well established. Some researchers suggest that early chiropractic adjustments for acute back pain may prevent chronic problems from developing. Other doctors warn against some chiropractic manipulations, particularly those that involve rapid twisting of the neck.
Osteopathic treatment is likely to combine drug therapy with spinal manipulation or traction, followed by physical therapy and exercise.

Acupuncture may bring moderate to complete back pain relief for many sufferers. It can be used alone or as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes medications and other bodywork. Clinical achievements, along with positive research results, prompted the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to declare acupuncture a reasonable treatment option for those suffering low back pain.

If you consult a psychotherapist for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), your treatment may include stress management, behavioral adaptation, education, and relaxation techniques. CBT can lessen the intensity of back pain, change perceptions about levels of pain and disability, and even lift depression. The NIH considers CBT useful for relieving low back pain, citing studies that show CBT to be superior to routine care and placebo.
Other comprehensive behavioral programs have shown similar success, with participants able to lessen the amount of medication they needed while improving their outlook and pain-related behavior.

If lower back pain is related to muscle tension or spasm, biofeedback can be effective for lessening pain intensity, decreasing drug use, and improving quality of life. Biofeedback may help you train your muscles to respond better to stress or movement.

The Alexander Technique, Pilates, and the Feldendkrais Method are all specialized forms of body work that help you learn to move in a more coordinated, flexible, and graceful manner. They may help reduce pain and can relieve stress. Some of the postures of yoga may help diminish low back pain, improve flexibility, strength, and sense of balance. Yoga is good for stress reduction and can help with the psychological aspects of pain.

Aquatic therapy and exercise can also improve flexibility and decrease pain for those with chronic low back problems. The unique properties of water make it an especially safe environment for exercising a sore back; it provides gentle resistance, comfort, and relaxation.