Exploring Non-Drug Pain Management Options

Chronic pain, unfortunately, seems to accompany rare diseases too often. I began having chronic pain early on with my rare disease, and it is what led to my diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

I have been fortunate not to require attending pain management, although there were periods when I considered it. My doctors have been able to effectively manage my pain without the need for a pain management specialist. However, I was thrilled to learn that pain management can include more modalities than only medication management.

What is the goal of pain management?

The goal of pain management is to effectively control pain levels to improve quality of life. In this article, we'll only be scratching the surface because multimodal pain management involves a lot. This can be a launching point for discussion with your doctor if you are interested in exploring pain management options that might be available to you.

In addition to standard pain medication options, there are also interventional modalities that may include procedures such as nerve blocks, steroid injections, ablations, electric nerve stimulation, etc.¹

Psycological and behavioral therapies

Pain psychology and behavioral therapies can also help manage activity and pain flares. Pain psychology has shown that through understanding and coping with the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that accompany pain, a person's intensity level of pain can be reduced.²

Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain is an example of this that helps one counter the negative thought patterns that pain can trigger and behavior changes to allow for participating in activities while reducing pain flares.²

Lifestyle changes

When I think of lifestyle modifications, I generally refer to diet, exercise, and sleep changes. I have been reminded time and time again in my own life about the wonders of what exercise and physical therapy can do for relieving or lessening pain.

Physical therapy

I prefer to attend physical therapy so that I have the guidance of a medical professional who can troubleshoot with me when I have pain flares during therapy and can teach me the appropriate exercises to do on my own after I complete the therapy program.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy is another therapy type that can be very helpful in finding new ways to complete tasks, even utilizing various assistive devices to reduce pain with everyday living.  For example, I have found that a silicone hair scalp massager helps me wash my hair when I'm feeling weak and don't have the energy or strength in my arms to wash my hair without it.

Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine can also play a complementary role in effective pain management modalities. Alternative medicine involves more than natural pain relievers of herbs and oils. Practices such as acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and even hypnotherapy can be included.³

No matter what route one decides to go, there are options available to explore for finding effective pain management. Have you tried any of the discussed modalities? What worked or didn't work for you? Share with us in the comments below.