Pain Management

I'm always a few months behind with news from Time Magazine. Basically when the parents-in-law have finished with their copy, they stack them up for a few months, then send them over to my house as light reading. So I've only just got around to reading the Feb 28 article on The Right and Wrong Way to Treat Pain.

The main message is that drug therapy is not the only solution. Chronic pain sufferers who use a multidisciplinary program do better than patients who take medications only, according to Dr Pamela Palmer, medical director of the pain-management centre at UCSF.

The four main elements of such programs are:
1. drugs
2. Injection Therapies
3. Physical Therapy and Exercise
4. Behavioural Techniques, including relaxation training, biofeedback amd psychotherapy.

Breathing exercises, mental imagery, self-distraction, yoga, massage, acupuncture, meditation, Tai Chi, hypnosis, swimming, walking, Pilates, weight loss, diet changes are all some of the recommended techniques for pain management.

Guess I'll need to add a few more pages to www.womens-health-and-fitness.com.

cheers
Chris