No one wants to deal with pain, especially not long-term chronic pain. But sometimes it may seem like the options—drugs or surgery—simply aren’t any better. Who wants to take medications for the rest of their life, especially if those medications have horrible side effects? Surgery can also be risky. Fortunately, there are some pain management techniques that do not require either.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help you stretch and relax your muscles, reducing pain and giving you greater mobility. Physical therapy is generally directed by a professional, at least at first, so that you what exercises to do and how often to do them. This is necessary because if you don’t perform the exercises just right, you may hurt yourself further. Some physical therapy may require weights or other additional equipment or may be done in the water.
Massage
Massaging injured muscles can also help relieve the pain and improve your range of motion. There are various types of massage that can help with different pain. Deep tissue massage may be needed for severe pain, while more gentle options may help others. According to studies, massage can actually help decrease your pain for months.
Alternating Hot and Cold Treatment
Another type of treatment you may make use of is to alternate hot and cold options. This involved using a heating pad to help with inflammation and then an ice pack to reduce swelling. Sometimes you alternate heat and cold, while other times, one or the other may be more beneficial. It all depends on the type of pain you’re dealing with.
Acupuncture
Another option is to try acupuncture. This traditional Chinese treatment can actually be very helpful when dealing with chronic pain. While the idea of having small needles stuck in your body may sound like it would cause more pain than it would cure, acupuncture is surprisingly effective.
A Combination of Treatments
Often, what really works for a patient is a combination of different treatments. Physical therapy when combined with cold treatment, for example, may be the key to managing your pain. For others, it may be massage and hot treatment. It often depends on your specific type of pain, where that pain is located, and its underlying cause.
Need help managing pain without surgery or medication? Contact Maximum Orthopedics today.
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Posted on: Feb 26 2019
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By: admin
There are a number of different types of orthopedic surgeries you can have. Many of these procedures are actually very common and often have few side effects. If you’re scheduled for an orthopedic procedure, it may help calm you to know if you’re undergoing one of the most common types of orthopedic surgeries. Here are some of these surgeries.
Joint Replacement
Many people undergo knee replacement surgery, a type of joint replacement. These surgeries are very common and include knee and hip replacement. Once complete, you will need to see your doctor regularly for several months just to make certain that the implant is successful and that there are no issues with it. In most cases, patients regain a great amount of mobility that they had lost and are able to return to living a pain-free life.
If your joint replacement does have complications, your orthopedic surgeon may need to do a revision joint procedure. This means that they remove the defective implant and put in a new one. If you have an older implant, you may also need a revision joint procedure at some point.
Debridement
A debridement is a type of orthopedic surgery that involves removing dead tissue. Sometimes, this much be done before the body can start to heal correctly. This process simply removes the dead tissue. In some cases, some bone also must be removed.
Fusion
When your body is in need of more stability or if you have damage done to your spine or to specific bones, a fusion may be necessary. The surgeon will fuse together the vertebrae in your spine or a bone graft to the fractured bones in order to help them heal and make them stronger. This isn’t always necessary with back or bone injuries, but it is often done to provide more stability and improve healing times.
Soft Tissue Procedures
If you have torn tendons or ligaments, your orthopedic surgeon may need to do surgery to repair them. This common surgery is often necessary before you can start healing.
Carpal Tunnel
Another very common orthopedic surgery is done on those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. This surgery helps release the pressure and return a full range of motion to the wrists and hands.
There are a number of other orthopedic surgeries that are very common. If you’re in need of one of these procedures, the experts at Maximum Orthopedics are here to help. Contact us today for more information.
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Posted on: Feb 1 2019
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By: admin
