"I am glad I haven't been told to take any pain meds. I am not a meds kind of guy usually."
Used to be thought that, partly because all medications have side effects, toughing it out had many advantages. It may still have some but now we know there is also a down side. A lack of pain relief can greatly slow recovery, delay restoration of function and can, in some cases, can lead to much more pain much in the very long term.
It has been shown to a fair degree of certainty that early administration of effective analgesia reduces the chances of, or extent of, phantom pain after a limb is amputated. The science shows that to some extent trauma and intense pain reprograms the brain and how it perceives pain in the future.
One might assume that exposure to pain would increase the tolerance and increase the threshold for pain but the long term effect seems to be exactly the opposite. The trauma of intense pain very much increases both the physical and psychological effects long term.
While your certainly free to decline medications you may not be doing yourself any favors.
Generally speaking chiropractic treatments do not involve any significant amount of pain if done properly. While I do favor chiropractic treatments for simple back pain, where he offers quick and effective relief, I am careful to reign in the enthusiasm of my chiropractor for the rest of the ailments he claims to be able to treat.
Given free run of my health-care, and checkbook, he would treat everything from ingrown toenails to dandruff. There are no limits to what he claims to be able to effect with his combination of manipulations, dietary supplements (Sold in the office naturally) and homeopathic potions. IMO most of these are effective largely to the extent the patient is suggestible or subject to the placebo effect. We have developed an understanding.
I also make sure he curbs his tendency to get me on an open ended program. When I go in I tell him up front to do what he can in three visits. After three visits I reevaluate his progress. The longest series was six visits after a fairly serious accident. Over thirty years I have gone to several chiropractors for about a half dozen issues.
Aloha Art,
Thanks for your comments. I have always declined pain meds, even after knee surgery. I guess I have a high threshold for pain.
My chiropractor has been really good. His goal is to make sure I am fully documented for my insurance, I get treated for the causes of my discomfort regardless of who does the treatment, and for me to stop seeing him as soon as possible. I went to school with him and trust that he is doing the right thing for me.
Today, I discovered Thai massage by a very talented lady. WOW! She is good. I have never had a Thai massage before and it was the best massage I have ever had. First of all, it is fully clothed and no oils/lotions are used. She had a pair of pants and a shirt laid out for me to change into. They were cool, loose and comfortable. The shirt was like scrubs, but it was a Thai shirt and the pants are long and comfy. Thai massage is a combination of a very strong deep tissue massage and yoga, with lots of stretching.
She was able to tell me how the guy hit my car from working on me as well as tell me how I sit when I work. She was also able to tell me all the stuff that was bothering me. I told her generally when I went to see her and she filled in the blanks and was able to tell me specifically what was wrong. Then she went to work on it.
A Thai massage is not one where you can relax and fall asleep during. It is active and is almost like a massage with a mini work out built in. She did warn me before we started that I might hurt a little bit for a day or two after. She likened it to how you feel the day or two after exercising if you haven't in a while. It was good enough that I am going to try to get my wife an appointment too, if she wants to go.
She did tell me that she thought I could take pain very well as she worked me pretty hard. I had a really tight knot in my neck and she was working it with steady pressure. It hurt during, but felt good after. She kept talking to me during that time. I was just doing my deep breathing and told her that it not only helps me with pain relief, but helps to get the massage in deeper. She told me she was talking to distract me so it might not hurt as much but the breathing for a deeper massage and a deeper stretch was the correct thing to do.
Anyway, long story short, deep breathing is my normal pain med. It has worked for me all my life so far and the side effects are good ones.
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