Pain Relief
Pain Relief
Pain can be disruptive on numerous levels from mild and unpleasant discomfort to serious health concerns. Pain shows just how sophisticated the body is because it is our body’s way of notifying us that something is wrong. The causes of pain sometimes are easy to identify and other times, it may take some investigating to find the pain source. Understanding your pain and finding the appropriate relief is important to being able to manage and possibly eliminate it and its harmful health complications.
There are two main types of pain
Neuropathic Pain- This type of pain affects the somatosensory nervous system and is caused by inflammation or neural tissue compression. This pain is linked with the body’s neurons. Neuropathic pain is caused by damage or disease and can be constant or episodic. Some of the symptoms include stabbing, tingling and even numbness. There are some diseases that can cause neuropathic pain such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and different types of cancers. People with diabetes often report numbness or tingling in their limbs. This pain can be triggered by traumatic injury, infection, genetic causes and infection.
Certain health conditions can cause neuropathic pain such as:
- Shingles
- Diabetes
- Blood vessel disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Autoimmune disorders
- Nerve problems
- Amputations
Nociceptive Pain- This type of pain results from tissue damage. Nociceptive pain is the body’s reaction to painful triggers such as a pulled muscle, burns, bruises or sprains. The nociceptors send a message to the central nervous system to signal the affected area to “feel” pain. This pain doesn’t typically cause nerve damage on its own. Nociceptive pain is more common that neuropathic pain.
Some symptoms of nociceptive pain are:
- Burns
- Bone fractions
- Sprains
- Bumps
- Arthritis
- Strained muscles
Managing Your Pain
Recognizing and treating pain, either neuropathic or nociceptive, is important and crucial to the body’s ability to heal. Depending on the cause of the pain, delaying treatment could result in worsening the source or could cause the pain itself to get worse. Over time, this could cause more extensive treatments, medications or more serious health problems. Constant pain can even lead to depression or feelings of isolations.
There are many ways to treat pain including medications, therapies (occupational, physical, and psychological). The source and severity of the pain can also determine if it can be managed at home or if medical help is needed.
Why Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
HBOT is “nature’s anti-inflammatory medicine” and works to reduce pain in the body. It includes breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This type of therapy infuses damaged tissues with pure oxygen to alleviate and mend the damaged tissues to reduce chronic pain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is commonly used by scuba divers to help with decompression sickness, but it is becoming a popular natural alternative treatment for illnesses, infection and pain management. When the body carries more oxygen to the cells and tissue, it can stimulate stem cells to encourage healing and reduce pain. HBOT is non-invasive and is a good option when incorporated into a full pain management plan. It promotes the body’s natural ability to rebuild and long term healing.
At In Light Hyperbarics, our team cares about listening to your needs and helping you feel better. We offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help healing and relief of pain in our clients as an alternative form of therapy. We believe in natural healing and the body’s ability to work to repair itself from the inside out.