Coping with Chronic Pain: 5 Tips for Relief
November 20, 2024
No one wants to hurt, but almost 21% of American adults experience chronic pain, defined as lasting more than three months, whereas acute pain lasts three months or less. Everyone’s experience with pain is also different and can be described in many ways such as throbbing, stinging, shooting, burning or aching.
These five tips may help you find relief from chronic pain, says Mike Mizrahi, D.O., a specialist in Physical Medicine Rehabilitation and Pain Management at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He has vast experience treating patients with chronic spine and musculoskeletal issues, those that involve bones, joints, muscles, nerves and connective tissues.
- Understand what type of pain you have.
“How we treat chronic pain depends on the underlying cause of the pain,” says Dr. Mizrahi, who cites these main categories of pain:
- Musculoskeletal
- Nerve or neuropathic
- Visceral or internal organ pain due to inflammation, disease, damage or injury
- Psychosomatic due to stress, anxiety or depression
- Cancer pain
A person may have any combination of pain types, such as neuropathic and musculoskeletal, he says. “With psychosomatic pain patients feel hurt, but aren't always aware of all the contributing factors.”
- Determine the source and underlying cause of your pain.
A thorough medical history and physical exam are the most important tools to determine the cause of your pain and should assess how the pain affects your function and quality of life. Dr. Mizrahi says doctors may recommend diagnostic imaging tests such as X-ray or MRI to confirm the diagnosis and guide treatment.
- Consider conservative and nonsurgical treatments first.
Prior to medications, these steps may help:
- Diet: Obesity is a risk factor for chronic pain, so weight loss can help.
- Exercise: A 2023 review of more than 100 studies on exercise and chronic musculoskeletal pain found that sedentary behavior and physical inactivity were associated with chronic pain. Exercise can also aid sleep, which is restorative and an important healing factor in chronic pain patients.
- Acupuncture: This practice uses very small needles to puncture the skin at different points to relieve pain. Research has been so favorable that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid now cover this treatment for chronic low back pain.
- Reiki: A Japanese technique that uses gentle touch for stress reduction. It’s also called “laying on hands.”
- Cupping: This ancient technique using suction cups is effective for multiple types of musculoskeletal pain.
- Physical and occupational therapy: Therapists will guide you through a series of exercises specific to your pain problem as well as show you safe and proper ways to perform daily living activities to avoid setbacks.
- Chiropractic: Mizrahi says: “This may be very helpful, but certain patients may be at risk for worsening of their condition. Be sure to check with your doctor first.”
- Mindfulness: This form of meditation guides a person to become fully present in the moment and manage negative or anxious thoughts about pain.
These classes of medications may also be helpful:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs); for example, Motrin, Ibuprofen, etc.
- Tylenol (acetaminophen)
- Muscle relaxers
- Nerve pain medications (anticonvulsants, some antidepressants)
- Oral steroids
- In some cases with close monitoring, opioids
- Ask about injections to decrease your pain.
Types of injections for chronic pain include:
- Trigger point injections: These help to relax tight muscles, often in the neck.
- Joint injections: Steroid injections into arthritic joints may reduce pain and inflammation and improve range of motion or function. If there is swelling in the joint (effusion), it can be drained as well.
- Nerve block: These injections use local anesthetics to “block” pain from a source by numbing its nerve supply and often help make a diagnosis.
- Epidural: This injection done under X-ray guidance delivers a mixture of medication close to the nerves of your spine and is often used for sciatica and painful conditions of the lower back and legs.
- Radiofrequency ablation: These are pain injections/procedures that focus on burning the nerves to manage pain
- Discuss surgery options for pain relief.
“Nothing can eliminate all pain forever,” Dr. Mizrahi says. Therapy, medications and injections are not typically permanent solutions. “Generally, our goal is to improve pain by 50 percent or more for at least three months, and to ensure patients remain as functional as possible.”
It may be time to consider surgical options if pain is unmanageable despite these less invasive treatments, especially if a patient presents with neurological deficits (weakness, balance or bowel/bladder incontinence) regardless of pain, Dr. Mizrahi says.
Next Steps & Resources:
- Meet our source: Mike Mizrahi, D.O.
- To make an appointment with a pain management specialist near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
- Learn more about pain management at Hackensack Meridian Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
