So long 2019, bring on 2020!!
2020 is poised to be a huge year in the world of pain relief.
The 2010’s saw a rise in opioid prescriptions, addictions and recognition that this is an ineffective and unsustainable way to control pain in the vast majority of people.
As we move into the 20’s we have far more information regarding the complex relationships that affect chronic pain, and a much better idea of how to appropriately treat it. We know that an integrative approach (combining several therapies and disciplines) works far better than using just one. And as we search for alternatives to opioids, we are finding safer, more effective solutions (including acupuncture, CBD and Chinese herbs to name a few).
Of course, all we have to do now is redesign our health care system to take advantage of all that we now know…
Until then, there are a growing number of practitioners already utilizing an integrative approach to pain management and healthcare and getting tremendous results! The more this becomes mainstream, rather than the “alternative,” the better positioned we all will be to be in less pain and negatively affected by chronic health issues.
Here are 3 tips that you can use to help yourself treat and prevent chronic pain more effectively:
1. Talk to your licensed acupuncturist. Integrative medicine is part of an acupuncturist’s training, which gives us a lot of options to treat your specific conditions. Depending on your specific needs, an acupuncturist may prescribe any combination of acupuncture, acupressure, exercises, diet changes, cupping therapy or other bodywork, Chinese herbs and supplement recommendations. Set up a free 15 min consultation if you need an acupuncturist in Austin.
2. Pay attention to your symptoms. This will be very helpful to bring to your acupuncturist, but will also help you by identifying patterns and getting a better understanding of what you need to heal. For example, when is the pain worst? When is it better? Are their movements that make it better/worse? Does hot or cold make it better/worse? Does stress affect the pain?
Answers to these questions will help pinpoint what is out of balance and what needs to be done to correct it.
3. Do not discount the psychosocial aspect to chronic pain. If you have been told there is nothing physically wrong, or if doctors do not know why you are experiencing so much pain, do not ignore the role that stress, community, relationships and your core beliefs play on nervous system function and your experience of your world. Pain is an experience and often can be changed by examining your relationship with it and what makes it worse.
If you or a friend are still dealing with pain and don’t feel like you have a plan to get rid of it, I highly encourage you to set up a free 15 minute consultation with me to learn about what an integrative approach could mean for you.
How would your life change if you weren’t in pain?
