| Pain is a very common condition. The incidence of pain rises
as people get older and women are more likely to be in pain than men. The most
effective pain management strategy for pain relief with little or no side
effects is massage.
Studies suggest that a person’s outlook and the way they
emotionally cope with long-term (chronic) pain can influence their quality of
life. Massage can help support to manage the physiological effects of chronic
pain.
How pain affects the body
There are two types of pain depending on how long a person
has it. Acute pain is a normal response to tissue injury, which starts suddenly
and is usually short lived. Chronic (ongoing) pain persists beyond the normal
time of healing and generally lasts for longer than three months. The vast
majority of people with chronic pain have it for more than a year. This type of
pain is usually the result of an injury (for example, a sports or work
accident), illness or other health problem. The cause is unknown in around one-third
of cases.
The body’s reaction to unrelieved pain includes:
- Increased heart
rate and blood pressure.
- Changes to blood
gases, namely reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide.
- Higher levels of
stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline.
- Gastrointestinal
problems such as slowed digestion.
- Musculoskeletal
problems such as tension and fatigue.
- Emotional problems
such as anxiety and depression.
People can lower their levels of felt pain by learning
self-management skills, such as coping with depression and stress. Some studies
have shown that medication can undermine the value of developing these skills.
It is important to learn the skills you need to cope with your pain and not
rely on medications alone to do this.
Some non-drug pain-management strategies include:
- Heat or cold –
heat packs can aid relief of chronic musculoskeletal injuries and associated
pain. An ice-pack can be used to help reduce swelling immediately after an
injury.
- Physical therapies
– walking, stretching and strengthening or aerobic exercises may help relieve
pain, depending on the cause. Physical activity can also help you stay active
and improve your mood.
- Massage – this is
better suited to soft tissue injuries and should be avoided if the pain
originates in the joints.
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