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Pain Management

Recently, I was invited to give a talk on “Pain Management”. Here are some excerpts from the seminar. 

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.”

It is important to note that pain is always subjective. Each individual learns the application of the word ‘pain’ through experiences related to injury in early life. Sometimes, pain is reported but there is no presence of any tissue damage or any likely pathological cause. Is it possible to distinguish this experience from that due to any tissue damage? No, it is not. Pain is a feeling. There is no way to say one is in pain if one does not feel it. And just like feelings, pain is subjective.

woman-whiplash-chinese-medicinePeople seem to have a certain authority with respect to pain. If I sincerely believe that I am in pain, then I am in pain. Who are you to claim otherwise? Pain affects people differently. What may be perceived as a minor nuisance to one person may be extremely painful for another individual. Pain is caused by accidents, improper lifting and bending, sports activities, illness and disease and misalignment of the vertebrae from the spine. Pain may also appear out of nowhere with no obvious cause.

Pain is often classified as acute pain and chronic pain.
Acute pain results from injury or disease. It is for a specific period of time. For example, if you have a fall and twist your ankle, that will cause you pain. Chronic pain persists for a long period of time and causes a significant amount of distress. In the case of chronic pain, the pain has been there for so long that it is difficult to pinpoint the real cause or the root cause of the pain. We are all aware of the fact that stress and strain take a toll on our nervous system and spinal cord.

Usually, people take painkillers to ease pains. We all use aspirins for headaches. Do you know how painkillers work? In layman terms, painkillers block the pain receptors in the brain, thus providing temporary relief. Painkillers, however, have a lot of side-effects such as impaired concentration, drowsiness, dizziness, upset stomach, acidity or nausea. In the long run, they increase the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure and can lead to constipation, moodiness and menstrual irregularities. It is because of these reasons that I believe in adopting a drug-less approach to healing. At “The Silver Lining”, some of the techniques we use are:

  • Guided Imagery and Meditation to connect the mind and the body and free ourselves from pain due to any medical condition.
  • Hypnosis to help control stress, face fears, create an altered state of consciousness which will equip one with mental resources and change one’s ideas, images and perception of pain.
  • EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to ease the physical pain by identifying and removing the emotional charge attached to it.

Pain has a psychological or emotional component. The physical pain we feel may stem from an emotional event; such as the loss of a loved one or a break-up. The emotional pain can manifest as physical signs and symptoms. It is believed that pain is merely an indication that there is a dissociation between the self and the body.

 

Our body is communicating with us via the pain. The pain is our very pathway to learning…Pain does not show up in our lives for no reason. It is a sign that something in our lives needs to change. Do not dissociate yourself from the pain – it will obstruct the healing process.

 

At “The Silver Lining”, our healing modalities are utilized for calming the mind, helping with stress-relief and it focuses on sharpening the individual’s mental powers over any situation. However, we are only the channels. The ability to balance and enhance your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual self is completely in your hands. So, are you ready to take the first step towards alleviating pain from your life?

 

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