5 tips on managing acute pain

We have all been there - a day of too much gardening, lifting something heavy, spending too long sitting in front of a computer - then suddenly when we go to move, and we feel pain!

Sometimes it’s hard to know the best approach when dealing with acute (i.e. sudden and often severe) onset of pain. Our patients know that a phone call or email to us and we book them in for a reassessment in order to work out what has happened and help them as soon as possible! But what can you do before your appointment?

Have a read on to see our top tips on managing acute pain:

1.     ICE

It is the big question when it comes down to pain - ice or heat? 9 times out of 10 - ice is best. Pain is caused primarily by inflammation (e.g. inflammation of a tendon, inflammation hitting a nerve, inflammation of a ligament). When we picture inflammation, we picture heat (literally - it has flame in the word!). Inflammation in our body isn’t always as obvious as a sprained and swollen ankle, it can be as discreet as a stiff neck! Our general rule is to apply an ice pack for 10-20 minutes 3 x a day. When we manage the level of inflammation, it can really help to bring down pain levels and help to restore some mobility.

The only real time we recommend heat is when you suffer from some wear and tear - in this case I would recommend a mix of heat and ice - 10 minutes with both, making sure to finish with the ice.

2. MOVEMENT

The advice of ‘bed rest’ is probably one of the worst out there. Movement is not only vital for us to feel good on a daily basis, but it also helps us heal correctly! Imagine a sprained ankle. A ‘sprain’ is damage to the ligament, and say you suffer with a Grade II sprained ankle and suffer some tearing to the ligament itself. The area will swell and become hot and red, inflammation will spread to the area to help the area heal. The tears in the ligament will start to knit back together again…but what if you aren’t moving that ankle at all because you are resting it?

Our body is extremely clever and works in a ‘supply and demand’ mechanism, it will believe that the ankle has reduced movement so will knit the ligament back tighter and as it’s not receiving any signals to how that ligament normally moves, it creates a mish mash of scar tissue to hold it all together, going in all different directions. Now say you sprain your ankle, ice it, boot it for a few days and walk carefully on it, then remove the boot and carefully do some range of motion exercises when not weight bearing, progressing to gentle walking - your body then knows your normal movement of the ankle, so when it heals the ligament, it understands the normal strains and stresses that area of your body receives, so can make sure the direction of ligament tissue best suits you and your body.

Movement doesn’t just apply to sprained ankles - a bad back, stiff neck, tennis elbow etc. - can all be helped by gentle and controlled movement.

3. NOURISH YOURSELF

Remember what I said about inflammation? What’s amazing about it is our diet can influence the level of inflammation in our body. That’s why conditions such as acne or psoriasis can be seen to be helped with an anti-inflammatory diet. Even conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis can be helped! In a nutshell - oily fish, green leafy veggies, nuts and seeds should be eaten regularly. Processed foods, sugary foods, and junk food should all be avoided! The do’s and don’t’s are better outlined here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

We also sell omega 3 supplements in the form of fish oil or omega 3 derived from algae (suitable for vegans) - a great way to boost your anti-inflammatory diet!

4. DON’T PANIC!

Stress! The gateway to our sympathetic nervous system. It’s our fight or flight response that makes us feel anxious, increases our heart rate and blood pressure, and feel generally rubbish. Stress is important as it helps us stay alert in genuinely dangerous situations, however it is crossing over to everyday life and invading our thoughts and feelings. Stress = cortisol. Cortisol = increase in inflammation in the body. When we have an acute injury, it’s pretty normal to feel stressed! However in reality, this stress is not going to help us heal, and can actually affect our healing time. Try to tell yourself that with good movement, diet and management, you will be okay. Apps like Calm can also be amazing if you need help destressing.

5. GIVE US A CALL

We are always here to help and can even just be that reassurance you need. Once we take a thorough history, we perform tests on your nerves, muscles and joints in order to work out what is causing your pain. We then explain what we found and how we can help you, along with our recommendations and advice. If we believe chiropractic care can help you, then we will recommend it.

Give us a call on 01202 604707 or email admin@wimbornewellnesscentre.co.uk and we can get you booked in ASAP.

You should never have to just ‘cope’ with pain, so the very least you should do is try the home advice above to try and manage your symptoms and get back to doing what you love again.