Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Pain Therapy, Pain Relief, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carolina Pain Scrambler Center, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

5 Exercises to Help Ease Chronic Pain

While medical treatments and physical therapy are vital components of managing chronic pain symptoms, increased physical activity as a daily habit can increase quality of life. Physical activity results in the release of natural endorphins; these are the “feel good” chemicals in the brain that enhance mood while simultaneously easing pain signals. Regular exercise also helps to improve sleep quality and may even result in a reduced need for pain medications.

Walking

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Walking is a low-impact aerobic activity that is safe and effectively provides the muscles with oxygen. By increasing circulation, exercise often decreases pain and stiffness.

Aquatic exercises

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Gentle exercise in warm water often aids in decreasing chronic pain symptoms. Research shows that this may be due to low impact on the joints in water-based workouts.

Stretching and yoga

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

Stretching and yoga are often valuable exercises for the improvement of chronic pain. Maintaining good posture, gentle stretching and relaxation exercises are helpful pain-reduction tools to incorporate into a daily routine.

Strength training

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina, Exercises

Strength training can significantly ease chronic pain and benefit a person’s overall health. Workouts that use free weights or resistance machines are helpful for balanced strength training. Starting slowly and building strength gradually is important to prevent injury.

Activities of daily living

Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Pain Relief, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina

If going to the gym seems overwhelming or an individual’s chronic pain prevents them from exercising, everyday activities and daily chores can help. Routine activities, such as doing laundry, getting the mail, cooking, bathing and dressing are also valuable ways to incorporate movement throughout the day.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com
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10 Self Help Tips for Chronic Pain

1.  Learn deep breathing or meditation for relaxation.

Though there are many different ways to meditate, repetition serves as the core for many different forms of meditation.  Concentrating on breathing, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase may cause the body to relax.

2.  Reduce stress levels

Negative feelings including depression, anxiety, stress, and anger may increase the body’s sensitivity to pain.  Listening to calm and soothing music may elevate your mood, making the chronic pain more tolerable.  Guided imagery may also prove to be helpful, as it is a form of mental escape that may promote relaxation and help bring peace to your life.

3.  Boost pain relief with natural endorphins made available through exercise.

Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that improve your mood while also blocking pain signals.  Exercise also strengthens muscles, decreasing the chances of re-injury.  Exercise may also lower your weight, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar levels.

4.  Decrease alcohol consumption.

Though pain can make sleeping difficult, alcohol may make sleep problems worse.  If you are experiencing chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol is recommended.

5.  Join a support group.

Being around people who also endure chronic pain may make you feel less alone.  You may also benefit from their wisdom in coping with pain.  Meeting a mental health professional  may also be recommended.

6.  Don’t smoke.

Smoking may make painful circulation problems worse and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer.

7.  Track your pain and activities every day.

Maintaining a log or a journal of your daily “pain score” will help track your pain.  Measuring your pain at the end of the day using a 1 to 10 scale  as well as keeping track of your activities may help your doctor understand your chronic pain.

8.  Learn biofeedback to decrease headaches.

With biofeedback,  sensors are worn so that you can “hear” or “see” bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension.  The squiggly lines and beeps on the attached monitors reflect what is happening inside you body.  When you learn to control those squiggles and beeps, you may be able to train your mind to lessen pain.

9.  Get a massage for chronic pain relief.

A massage can reduce stress and relieve tension.  Massages are utilized by people living with different kinds of chronic pain, including back pain and neck pain.

10.  Eat a healthy diet.

A well balanced diet aids your digestive process, reduces heart disease risk, keeps weight under control, and improves blood sugar levels.

Article Provided By: PainScale
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If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com
Peripheral Neuropathy, Pain Relief, Neuropathy, Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment, Pain Management, Pain Treatment, Carolina Pain Scrambler, Greenville South Carolina

8 Complications of Diabetic Neuropathy

If glucose (sugar) levels are not under control and managed, diabetic neuropathy can cause serious complications. The common complications of diabetic neuropathy include:

Loss of a limb

The sensory neuropathy causes open wounds or sores to go unnoticed which can later become infected or ulcerated. Ulceration causes the soft tissue and skin to break down. The high blood sugar damages the blood vessels which reduces the blood supply to your feet. If left untreated, infection can spread to bone and gangrene can occur. Gangrene is tissue death which may require amputation to affected toe, foot, or lower leg.

Charcot joint

Charcot joint, also known as neuropathic arthropathy, often damages the nerve in the foot causing loss of function in the joint. Usually, the foot becomes deformed presenting with misalignment, loss of sensation, swelling, instability, and deformity in the joint. Walking can exacerbate pain and worsen the damage. Receiving early treatment can stimulate the healing process and prevent any additional damage.

Urinary dysfunction

The damaged nerves in the bladder are unaware of the pressure buildup caused by the urine filled bladder. This prevents the bladder from completely emptying causing an increase of bacteria, the ability to know when you need to urinate, and the control of the muscles used for urine output. These types of complications will lead to urinary tract infections and incontinence.

Hypoglycemia unawareness

An autonomic neuropathy prevents you from noticing when your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL or 3.9 mmol/L. The sign and symptoms you will notice are sweating, palpitations, and shakiness.

Digestive issues

Autonomic neuropathy injures the nerves in the digestive system causing constipation, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Gastroparesis can occur preventing the stomach from emptying normally. This can cause high blood glucose levels and nutritional issues.

Hypotensive

The heart and blood vessels control your circulation. When these vessels are damaged the body is unable to adjust the heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, you can feel light-headed or faint when standing up from after sitting.

Sexual dysfunction

Autonomic neuropathy decreases the sexual response due to the injured nerves to the sex organs. A man may present with erectile dysfunction and a woman may show difficulty with arousal, lubrication, or orgasm.

Uncontrollable sweating

The autonomic neuropathy disrupts the sweat glands from functioning normally, where the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The damage can cause profuse sweating, especially while eating or during the night.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com
Chronic Pain, Pain Relief, Pain Management, Pain Therapy, Pain Treatment, Pain Relief, Peripheral Neuropathy, Carolina Pain Scrambler Center, Greenville South Carolina, Nutrition

Nutrition is Important for Managing Pain

What is Chronic Pain?

We all get bumps and bruises but chronic pain is much different. In order to be considered “chronic”, pain must last longer than three months.

What’s more, chronic pain is also a heightened level of pain, more so than a simple stubbing of the toe or jamming of the finger. It’s ordinarily pain that is severe enough that working or living a normal life becomes difficult.

Role of Nutrition

Pain is often caused from inflammation throughout the body. There are some exceptions, of course, but in most cases, chronic pain has some level of inflammation. Nutrition can play a big role in helping chronic pain as it can directly impact the level of inflammation that is present in your body.

While there has yet to be a Pain Free Diet, there is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and this is the next best thing. A diet that focuses on anti-inflammatory foods may help reduce or eliminate pain while improving mood and overall health.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

This type of diet is going to focus on primarily plant-based foods with healthy lean meats, usually in the form of fish, being added in sparingly. The idea is to maximize anti-inflammatory vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the following nutrients:

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are the most popular anti-inflammatory nutrients. Omega 3s can be found in:

  • Salmon
  • Flaxseed
  • Walnuts

2. Tryptophan has been shown to be a powerful tool for pain alleviation while improving sleep. Tryptophan can be found in:

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Raw chocolate
  • Yogurt

3. Fiber can help to alleviate pain from constipation. It’s found in:

  • Flax seeds
  • Dark leafy green vegetables
  • Prunes

4. Green tea is a well-known agent for pain alleviation. You can drink up to 3 cups per day to help with pain.

Article Provided By: PainScale

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If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com
Peripheral Neuropathy, Diabetic Neuropathy Treatment, Pain Therapy, Peripheral, Nerve Pain Relief, Carolina Pain Scrambler Center, Greenville South Carolina, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Diabetic Neuropathy Facts & Information

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

A Nerve Condition Associated with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Nerve damage caused by diabetes affecting the arms, hands, legs, and feet.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Facts & Information

This condition is associated with diabetes mellitus and is a frequent complication. High blood sugar levels can damage the nerves and lead to pain – especially legs and feet.

Pain management doctors use innovative procedures to accurately diagnose your pain and safe, non-surgical procedures to alleviate the pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

How & Why Diabetic Neuropathy Develops

High blood sugar levels, that are chronically elevated, will cause damage to nerves. There are four types of diabetic neuropathy: peripheral, autonomic, proximal, and focal.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy most commonly affects the feet and legs. Damage to the nerves can result in decreased sensation, making it more difficult to walk and putting patients at risk of injuring their feet because of loss of sensation. Patients with diabetes who develop ulcers or infections in the feet need to be followed closely.

Getting better control of the patient’s blood sugar levels often may be associated with decreased symptoms.

Symptoms

For diabetic peripheral neuropathy, patients will have symptoms on the lower half of their body – specifically legs, feet, and toes. Primary symptoms include:

  • Tingling
  • Numbness
  • Burning sensation
  • Any other type of pain affecting the feet or toes

Diagnosis

Proper diagnosis starts with an experienced physician. The type of pain that you may have with diabetic peripheral neuropathy can be similar to the symptoms of several types of disorders. Accurately determining the correct source of your pain is critical to successful treatment.

  • Begins with a thorough clinical evaluation
  • Including a complete medical history, analysis of your symptoms, and physical examination
  • Testing may include x-rays, MRI and/or CT scans, and peripheral nerve conduction study
  • These advanced diagnostic techniques help pinpoint the source of pain

Article Provided By: Advanced Medical Group

Carolina Pain Scrambler Logo, Chronic Pain, Greenville, SC
If you would like to discuss what Carolina Pain Scrambler do to help relieve your chronic pain symptoms or receive more information on our treatment process, please do not hesitate to call us at 864-520-5011 or you can email us at info@carolinapainscrambler.com
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