Day 293 of 365 - Pain and Stress
Think about a time when you were in a lot of physical pain. For me, that would be the labor pain when having a baby. It was extremely intense for short periods and then eased until the next round. At least I knew it was time limited. That's acute pain. Then, there is the more sustained kind of pain which lasts longer, like post-operative pain. I had quite a bit of that after a Cesarean section, but it also eventually eased up. The most distressing pain is chronic pain, which seems never-ending and creates a sense of anxiety and despair in the one suffering.
Our perception of pain is important, because in a way it defines how much we will suffer. For example, delivering a baby is very painful, but knowing we are bringing our child into the world eases the situation, somewhat at least. For one of my labors, I had an epidural because of intense back pain. Then, I felt no pain at all, which was actually rather strange, especially in the several hours afterwards of lost sensation.
Inflammation in the body can cause pain in muscles and joints which can be either short-lived after over exertion or chronic from arthritis. Radiating pain can occur from something like a pinched nerve, as in sciatica. Visceral pain can occur from an organ, like menstrual cramping. Sharp, acute pain can occur from a headache or something like a burn. It's the duration and perception of the pain that affects our tolerance of it.
Chronic pain fosters chronic stress responses. It requires a multi-modal approach because the stress response that accompanies it puts us into a prolonged nervous system overdrive which prevents healing. Chronic stress is harmful to the whole body. It, along with the pain, makes it harder to sleep. It upsets the hormone balance in the body and triggers more inflammation in both the body and brain. It becomes a vicious cycle.
One of the areas of medicine which has the most experience in managing pain is orthopedic surgery. Patients coming for consultation are either in acute pain from an injury, or have been in chronic pain for some time, like someone needing a hip or knee reconstruction. Pain management used to be primarily through prescription drugs. However, now that the awareness of the danger of opiates is so much higher, prescription of those drugs is much more carefully monitored. The need to look for other complementary pain relief strategies has resulted in a broader spectrum of care.
One surgeon I heard interviewed spoke at length about programs using combinations of strategies like massage therapy with essential oils both pre-operative and post-operative to mediate pain and stress and to change the perception of pain. These are used in conjunction with medications. He was saying that aromatherapy is becoming mainstream practice in some hospitals, based on scientific data about how the components of essential oils interact with our neurochemistry. Anxiety is decreased due to the positive affect on the response of the amygdala in the mid-brain.
Aromatherapy can be administered in three ways. Inhalation of diluted essential oils from a diffuser goes to the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the lungs through the olfactory and respiratory systems. Topical use of essential oils in a carrier oil is delivered through absorption even as deeply as into joint tissues. Thirdly, oils can be orally ingested in a carrier via a gel capsule. Side effects from essential oils are minimal and benefits can be high. Thus, they make a very good component of pain and stress management.
Personally, I use an essential oil diffuser in my bedroom every night. Several drops of various oils are put in the water receptacle. I have some premixed blends and other recipes of individual oils which I blend by choice for the purposes of relaxation and pain relief, depending on my needs of the day. The diffuser creates a vapor which distributes molecules of the oils throughout the room. My aim is to have this support better sleep. It's one of the tools in my sleep tool kit.
Also, because inflammation exacerbates pain, and stress triggers inflammation, a nutritional approach which emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods can also be very helpful. Any kind of activities which support the release of our feel good hormones, like oxytocin can also reduce perception of pain. This includes close relationships with others, connection with pets, having a supportive community or just having a good laugh over something.
I don't know whether such a comprehensive approach to pain and stress management, as described by that orthopedic surgeon, yet exists in the medical system in my community, but it was very encouraging to hear him speak with such positive conviction about the effectiveness of a multi-pronged approach which includes more than drugs. He also mentioned that patients are becoming much more well informed now and are asking for a variety of strategies for pain relief, not just drugs.
This is great progress for us in the realm of health and vitality, and so good to see!
Our perception of pain is important, because in a way it defines how much we will suffer. For example, delivering a baby is very painful, but knowing we are bringing our child into the world eases the situation, somewhat at least. For one of my labors, I had an epidural because of intense back pain. Then, I felt no pain at all, which was actually rather strange, especially in the several hours afterwards of lost sensation.
Inflammation in the body can cause pain in muscles and joints which can be either short-lived after over exertion or chronic from arthritis. Radiating pain can occur from something like a pinched nerve, as in sciatica. Visceral pain can occur from an organ, like menstrual cramping. Sharp, acute pain can occur from a headache or something like a burn. It's the duration and perception of the pain that affects our tolerance of it.
Chronic pain fosters chronic stress responses. It requires a multi-modal approach because the stress response that accompanies it puts us into a prolonged nervous system overdrive which prevents healing. Chronic stress is harmful to the whole body. It, along with the pain, makes it harder to sleep. It upsets the hormone balance in the body and triggers more inflammation in both the body and brain. It becomes a vicious cycle.
One of the areas of medicine which has the most experience in managing pain is orthopedic surgery. Patients coming for consultation are either in acute pain from an injury, or have been in chronic pain for some time, like someone needing a hip or knee reconstruction. Pain management used to be primarily through prescription drugs. However, now that the awareness of the danger of opiates is so much higher, prescription of those drugs is much more carefully monitored. The need to look for other complementary pain relief strategies has resulted in a broader spectrum of care.
One surgeon I heard interviewed spoke at length about programs using combinations of strategies like massage therapy with essential oils both pre-operative and post-operative to mediate pain and stress and to change the perception of pain. These are used in conjunction with medications. He was saying that aromatherapy is becoming mainstream practice in some hospitals, based on scientific data about how the components of essential oils interact with our neurochemistry. Anxiety is decreased due to the positive affect on the response of the amygdala in the mid-brain.
Aromatherapy can be administered in three ways. Inhalation of diluted essential oils from a diffuser goes to the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the lungs through the olfactory and respiratory systems. Topical use of essential oils in a carrier oil is delivered through absorption even as deeply as into joint tissues. Thirdly, oils can be orally ingested in a carrier via a gel capsule. Side effects from essential oils are minimal and benefits can be high. Thus, they make a very good component of pain and stress management.
Personally, I use an essential oil diffuser in my bedroom every night. Several drops of various oils are put in the water receptacle. I have some premixed blends and other recipes of individual oils which I blend by choice for the purposes of relaxation and pain relief, depending on my needs of the day. The diffuser creates a vapor which distributes molecules of the oils throughout the room. My aim is to have this support better sleep. It's one of the tools in my sleep tool kit.
Also, because inflammation exacerbates pain, and stress triggers inflammation, a nutritional approach which emphasizes anti-inflammatory foods can also be very helpful. Any kind of activities which support the release of our feel good hormones, like oxytocin can also reduce perception of pain. This includes close relationships with others, connection with pets, having a supportive community or just having a good laugh over something.
I don't know whether such a comprehensive approach to pain and stress management, as described by that orthopedic surgeon, yet exists in the medical system in my community, but it was very encouraging to hear him speak with such positive conviction about the effectiveness of a multi-pronged approach which includes more than drugs. He also mentioned that patients are becoming much more well informed now and are asking for a variety of strategies for pain relief, not just drugs.
This is great progress for us in the realm of health and vitality, and so good to see!
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