It is possible to reduce and eliminate chronic pain without drugs or surgery.
Chronic pain has become a significant challenge for many. Not only is chronic pain – well – painful, it can have a substantial impact on other areas of our life. Below, we answer questions about chronic pain, including its effects. We also discuss the types of help for chronic pain available for those seeking an approach that doesn’t involve having surgery or needing to take medication for the rest of their lives.
How many people suffer from chronic pain?
Chronic pain is consistent pain in the body lasting more than three months. Some with chronic pain have what’s referred to as high-impact chronic pain (HICP). HICP is chronic pain that limits a person’s ability to work or participate in regular daily activities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 20.9% of U.S. adults (51.6 million people) suffered from chronic pain and 6.9% (17.1 million) experienced HICP. Chronic pain is an ongoing challenge for many people throughout the world. It’s predicted that about 25% of those with chronic pain will go on to develop chronic pain syndrome (CPS).
Chronic pain can impact anyone at any age, though there are some populations the studies show are affected the most. These include:
- Veterans
- Females
- Older adults
- Those living in poverty
- Those unemployed or previously unemployed
Roman’s helps individuals achieve pain relief from chronic pain when nothing else has worked.
What is the impact of chronic pain?
Chronic pain has a significant impact on daily functioning and well-being. Continuous pain anywhere in the body can lead to mental health conditions, increased weight gain, and more. Chronic pain has been linked to depression, Alzheimer’s, increased suicide risk, and substance use and misuse.
Chronic pain and chronic pain management not only impacts those living with it, but family members and friends of those individuals, as well. It also has a significant economic impact, with the economic cost in the U.S. being between $560 and $635 billion per year. Costs are equated to healthcare costs, lower wages, and lost productivity.
What causes chronic pain?
According to Stacy Roman, Founder and Owner of Roman’s Wellness Center, there are several studies that indicate how emotional upset and distress leads to chronic pain and vice versa. Stacy points out that chronic pain is caused by “a cycle of having pain that emotionally and physically prevents you from moving.”
Numerous research shows that there is a link between:
- Negative emotions and chronic pain
- A lack of social support or dissatisfaction with social relationships and chronic pain
- Childhood trauma and chronic pain in adulthood
When dealing with chronic pain – whether it’s severe neck pain, back pain, joint pain, or widespread pain – those who are attempting to relieve chronic pain find themselves in a vicious cycle that prevents recovery and exacerbates the pain.
Stacy shares, “Due to chronic pain, people become sedentary and often start taking pain relievers, which can cause more inflammation in the body once they wear off, leading to more pain. Plus, the pain relievers tend to cause harm to the liver and stomach, creating more issues that hinder healing within the body.”
Here, we define pain relievers as any synthetic drug used to alleviate pain in the body. These can range from over-the-counter medications, like acetaminophen and NSAIDs, and prescription medications, like Tramadol, Oxy, and Amitriptyline.
What treatments are available to help with chronic pain?
Unfortunately, many have been dealing with chronic pain for decades, and with little relief. In many cases, people have tried all sorts of different treatments to help achieve some level of relief, from surgery and pain medication to chiropractic care, that prove to be unsuccessful. Or, individuals might find some relief, though prefer not to continue to be on pain medications for life or have to face surgery down the road.
In many instances, the challenge is that practitioners treat pain symptoms without trying to understand the root cause of the pain. If you can understand the root cause, you can treat the origins of the pain, which can lead to an increase in pain relief and, in some instances, relieve the pain altogether.
Fortunately, it is possible to achieve pain relief without surgery and without the need to take medication. Below, we discussed several treatments available to treat and help chronic pain that are non-invasive to minimally invasive and do not require synthetic medications. All of these are offered at Romans wellness clinic, including:
- Laser and Deep Tissue Therapy
- Acupuncture
- Ballancer Pro
- Cryotherapy
- Hyperthermic Ozone Carbonic Acid Transdermal Technology (HOCATT)
- Hugo
- Infrared Sauna
- Foot Bath
- Massage therapy
9 Treatments to Help for Chronic Pain
Let’s take a closer look at nine highly effective treatments to reduce and eliminate chronic pain.
Laser and Deep Tissue Therapy
LightForce XPi is an innovative laser and deep tissue therapy that applies Intellect Radial Pressure Waves (RPW) to treat pain and inflammation. LightForce lasers offer a non-surgical and non-drug treatment to address pain in areas of the body like the back, neck, and joints. It also treats sports injuries and arthritis.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses tiny needles that are applied to different points of the body. It can help with several types of chronic and ongoing pain, including:
- Menstrual cramps
- Migraines and headaches
- Sports injuries
- Nerve-related pain
- Knee pain
- Back pain
- Joint pain
Acupuncture treats pain in a variety of ways. It:
- Helps to stimulate the body’s natural release of endorphins that support muscle relaxation and pain reduction.
- Stimulates nerves, connective tissue, and muscles, which can, in turn, increase the body’s natural ability to reduce pain.
- Improves blood flow around the spine, expediting healing and alleviating pain.
- Helps rebalance the body’s natural flow of energy.
Even though needles are used, they are very tiny, and many experience little to no discomfort during acupuncture treatments. Many even feel very relaxed during treatment.
Balancer Pro
The Balancer Pro is a treatment that works by helping the body’s lymph system release toxins and be more efficient. What does that mean for chronic pain? When we flush toxins out of our system, it helps to calm inflammation, reducing pain.
The Balancer Pro also helps with pain reduction by helping our bodies to:
- Reduce swelling
- Increase blood flow and improve circulation
- Release endorphins
- Clear lactic acid and fluid build-up
Your practitioner will set you up with the proper Balancer Pro treatment protocol to ensure you receive optimal results.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy uses cold therapy, or freezing technology, to reduce pain. A cryotherapy treatment treats pain by:
- Reducing blood flow to the pain area by constricting blood vessels, after which the body has vasodilation to increase blood flow and clear out toxins
- Temporarily reducing nerve activity in the area being treated.
- Reducing inflammation and swelling by triggering the release of norepinephrine, an anti-inflammatory endorphin.
- Interrupting nerve signals that carry pain.
- Reducing oxidative stress that can increase pain and inflammation.
Cryotherapy treatments for pain at Roman’s only take 2 to 5 minutes and are used to treat various types of pain, including:
- Knee pain
- Joint pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Back pain
Hyperthermic Ozone Carbonic Acid Transdermal Technology (HOCATT)
The HOCATT combines 10 innovative and highly effective technologies into one system to promote optimal wellness. It assists in pain reduction by removing toxins and free radicals from the body. Additionally, it helps to cleanse the blood, improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and calm the nerves that cause pain in the body.
To speak solely about the effectiveness of ozone therapy offered by the HOCATT, in one study, 88.2% of patients who received ozone therapy saw a total or almost total remission, compared to 59% for those receiving steroids. Results were also sustained, with 77.1% of patients seeing excellent or good evolution six months following ozone therapy, compared to 47.3% receiving steroid treatment.
Hugo
The Hugo uses high-intensity, Spark-gap PEMP, nano-second technology to restore the body’s natural healing system. As a result, the body is able to reduce pain better on its own. The Hugo also helps to decrease inflammation and swelling, improve muscle relaxation and performance, enhance cellular repair, and increase blood flow, all of which lead to pain reduction.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas are a relaxing way to treat pain reduction. While in the sauna, the infrared heat penetrates the muscles, increasing blood circulation and reducing inflammation, which helps relieve pain in the body. Individuals also release toxins and excess lactic acid through sweating.
Detox Foot Bath
A foot bath is a relaxing way to pull toxins out of the body. In the process, inflammation and swelling are reduced while the body’s natural immune response is improved. A foot bath also helps to increase blood circulation and boost mood.
Massage
Many people turn to massage to alleviate stress and improve muscle health. Massage helps to increase blood circulation, release endorphins, and interrupt pain signals, leading to significant pain reduction for many. Massage also helps improve sleep, which enhances our body’s ability to heal through the night. There are numerous types of massage available to support pain reduction, including trigger therapy that focuses on specific pain points in the body.
Get help with chronic pain today!
If you’re interested in learning more and what options for chronic pain relief are right for you, contact Roman’s to schedule an appointment! Call 304-322-0093 or contact us online today!
