Learning how to identify and recognising what type of pain that you are experiencing is vital to your treatment in learning how to manage and reduce the pain.
Your pain is real
What is pain?
Each individual suffers from pain differently in their own unique manner.
Our perception of pain can vary depending on our response. We could feel more or less pain, depending on our mood, hunger, sleep patterns or activities.
When pain occurs, this often means something is wrong, which causes an unpleasant and uncomfortable sensation where by our nervous system sends us pain signals to allow us to protect our bodies from harm, telling us to perform a certain actions to avoid, causing pressure on other muscles, which would have to compensate for the injury caused.
Pain can come in different forms such as emotional, physical, financial, behavioral and spiritual pain. These types of pain are stored in our body causing tension in our muscles, ligaments, organs and skin. Causing skin irritation e.g. eczema, disorders and also fibromyalgia.
This can also be associated to stress and anxiety.
Types of pain
Somatic pain (bone and muscle pain)
· Localised pain
· Worse on movement
· Tender to pressure in the area
· Dull and aching pain
Visceral pain
· Locialised pain
· Deep and aching
· Constant pain
Neuropathic pain (nerve pain)
· Constant pain
· Superficial sensations
· Numb or sensitive
· Burning
· Stabbing
· Shooting
· Tingling
· Serve pain from light touch or slight pressure
ACUTE VS CHRONIC PAIN
Acute pain can last for a moment, weeks or even months. This can cause mild or severe pain which can come on suddenly.
Acute pain does not usually last for no longer than 3 - 6 month
Acute pain can be caused by a specific disease or injury and could be associated with muscular skeletal injuries (ankle sprain) and the sympathetic nervous system.
Chronic pain is usually ongoing and can last for months to years. This type of pain usually gets diagnosed after the 3-6 months of acute pain and the pain can sometimes come and go.
Whereby the pain signals stay active in the nerves system causing more sensitivity to pain.
Sufferers from chronic pain does not have to present with past injuries or apparent damage, this can be emotional trauma to the body.
Over time chronic pain can lead to common problems experiencing more stress on the body.
If the pain lasts longer than 3 days or longer than you expect, you should still treat the pain, to reduce the symptoms from becoming chronic pain.
Chronic pain can be frustrating and complex when the issue keeps returning and debilitating one’s life, making life extremely difficult thus creating an impact on their well-being and causing emotional chronic pain (fibromyalgia). This can initiate the processes of depression, anger, anxiety, fear, social exclusion, which limits the individual from working and having social activities.
When depression and anxiety are co-habiting with the pain within the body this can cause the sufferer to have symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain syndrome (CMPS).
Condition that comes with Chronic Pain:
· Chronic fatigue syndrome
· Endometriosis
· Fibromyalgia
· Inflammatory bowel disease
· Interstitial cystitis
· Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
· Vulvodynia
How can massage help with your pain?
Massage can help reduce pain. Massage cannot cure years’ worth of trauma in one session. Treatments can take weeks and months, depending on your lifestyle and constant repetitive lifestyles such as work and activities can cause further injury to the injury itself.
Having good and knowledgeable advice can help reduce recovery time.
Chronic pain is often more complex and difficult to treat, as there could be underlying problems that are stored up within the body.
Studies have shown that having a massage can reduce the significant reduction in pain levels, but also aids the body to relax, sleep, deal with emotion, reduce recovery period and best of all allows the body’s natural healing process to happen and repair.
Can hypnotherapy help with my pain?
The method of a standalone treatment of massage may not be sufficient. It is important to us that your treatment will help you recover and ease the pain to have a balanced outcome.
Massage is about relieving and reducing the pain itself. But hypnotherapy can provide the possible support to cope with the emotional implications that come alongside with the pain conditions, giving you the aid to help manage the perception of the physical sensations.
Stress, anxiety and depression are common links to exacerbating the pain.
By changing the thought patterns relating to pain through hypnosis, it can help reduce stress, fears and anxiety relating to the pain, which enables you to focus on relaxing and letting go.
Through the power of hypnotic suggestions which helps you address the link between the body and mind. Hypnotic suggestions that will encourage the pain relief.
Hypnosis for pain can take up to 4-10 session depending on your circumstances.
Can exercise help with my pain?
Exercise can certainly help with pain, depending on your activity we could advise light exercises such as walking, doing 3 exercises a day or a group class where we provide specific pain class for your pain, such as Yoga and Pilates classes. We do recommend
HOW CAN DHARMA CLINIC HELP WITH MY PAIN
In order to understand the pain we need to understand your lifestyle, your work and home balance to see if the pain is stress and emotional. We also look at past trauma to understand if your pain is effected by that and we may referred you to our hypnotherapist or psychotherapist to help you deal with the emotional pain.
We also look at food and nutrition, if your eating sugary food and sweet as this can effect inflammation within the body.
Once this is understood we examine your posture and test muscles for weakness and strength.
When we configured out this process, your treatment is then tailored for you, working with those specific muscles to make the changes necessary to heal and recover.
This is not a one day treatment, this will take time and many sessions.
At Dharma Massage Clinic, we would like to help you, ensure you talk and communicate to your therapist about your condition and symptoms to be able to provide you with the correct tailored treatment program to improve your symptoms and not aggravate them. If you are concerned about receiving a massage please consult your medical practitioner or doctor for some advice. Our staff experiences to help you with your concerns.
Reference:
Adams, R. White, B. (2017) “The Effects of Massage Therapy on Pain Management in the Acute Care Setting”. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3091428/ [Accessed on 12the August 2018]
BMI Healthcare. How can Hypnotherapy help you manage pain?. Available from: https://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/health-matters/health-and-wellbeing/how-can-hypnotherapy-help-you-manage-pain: [Accessed on 12th August 2018]
Cleveland Clinic. Acute vs Chronic Pain. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12051-acute-vs-chronic-pain: [Accessed on 10th August 2018]
Chang, L. (2011) Is Your Pain Acute or Chronic? Available from: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/types-pain: [Accessed on 10th August 2018]
Hypnotherapy Directory. Available from: https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/pain-management.html: [Accessed on 12th August 2018]
Rodriguez, M. (2017) Massage for Wellness: Managing Chronic Pain. Available from: https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/massage-wellness-managing-chronic-pain: [Accessed on 12th August 2018]
Shiel, W. Pain (Acute or Chronic). Available from: Medicine Net. https://www.medicinenet.com/pain_acute_and_chronic/views.htm# [Accessed on 10th August 2018]