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Connection Between Depression & Chronic Pain

Chronic pain and depression can end up going hand-in-hand together, but why are these two things so interwoven with each other? The answer is stress.

When you are in pain, the areas of your brain that respond to stress fire up. This puts your body into a fight-or-flight mode by flooding your system with adrenaline. Typically, those stress signals turn off once the pain goes away and your body returns to a relaxed state.

With chronic pain, however, those fight-or-flight signals never turn off. That means your nervous system remains in a constant state of high alert. This never-ending amount of stress eventually begins to wear the body down, which leaves you more vulnerable to the physical realities that cause clinical depression, such as your body not being about to produce enough neurotransmitters or stress hormones.

As your chronic pain develops into depression, it can end up increasing your pain. This increase in pain can then deepen your depression, creating a downward spiral. That is why it is essential to find helpful pain management in St. Augustine, FL.

A pain management doctor or other professional is able to help you find healthy ways to deal with your chronic pain and the stress it causes so you can begin to battle against your depression. Advancements in medical technology have led to many different treatment options that can truly make a difference in your life.

How a Sympathetic Blockade Treatment Helps Your Sciatica

Sciatica is a collection of painful and disruptive symptoms that up to 40% of Americans deal with daily. From shooting pains and numbness to muscle weakness in the legs and lower back, this common condition is one that is often misunderstood, which prevents patients from getting the treatment they need to live a pain-free life.

Thankfully, advancements in medical technology have allowed doctors to create new treatment programs that can address the root cause of the sciatica as well as the pain associated with it. One of these new methods is a sympathetic blockade treatment in Orange Park, FL.

A sympathetic nerve block is a type of spine injection that can provide lasting relief to different types of neuropathic pain—including sciatica. Your spine consists of multiple ganglions—or bundles of nerves—that branch out into your body. By injecting medication into the affected ganglion, your doctor is able to reduce nerve pain signals. This, in turn, reduces the amount of pain and discomfort you have to live with due to your sciatica.

If you are living with pain associated with sciatica, it is a good idea to reach out to your local pain management clinic to discuss available treatment options. There are solutions out there that can help you live a healthier, happier life.

Chronic Migraines and Common Issues

Anyone who has ever experienced a migraine knows just how painful it can be. From nausea and vomiting to an extreme sensitivity to sounds, smells, and light, the effects of a migraine can leave you unable to do much else but try to keep them under control.

Unlike sporadic migraines—which may last a day or two—chronic migraines can end up causing you to deal with these symptoms for more than 15 days each month. This can leave chronic suffers searching for migraine treatment in Jacksonville, FL.

The key to treating migraines is first to try to understand what causes them. While there isn’t a definitive explanation as to what causes them, potential theories include:

  • Underlying Central Nervous Disorder
  • Irregularities with the Brain’s Blood Vessel System
  • Genetic Predisposition
  • Abnormalities of Brain Chemicals & Nerve Pathways

While these might be the underlying causes, they usually require a trigger before a migraine appears. One of the best ways to avoid migraines is to figure out what is triggering them in you and then avoiding these triggers. Some of the most common migraine triggers include:

  • Salty Food
  • Skipping Meals
  • Alcoholic or Caffeinated Beverages
  • Preservatives & Sweeteners
  • Sensory Stimulation
  • Hormonal Changes
  • Hormone Medications
  • Other Medications
  • Mental Stress
  • Physical Stress
  • Sleep Cycle Changes
  • Weather Changes

With the help of a doctor, you might find it easier to figure out what is triggering your migraines and how to best approach treating them so that you do not have to live in constant fear of pain and discomfort.

Understanding Stem Cell Therapy for Joint Pain

Stem cell therapy in Jacksonville, FL, isn’t new. This procedure has been used for years to help regrow healthy tissue for burn victims, treat certain cancers, and even restore the immune systems of countless chemotherapy patients. Every day, clinics across the globe are trying new ways to use stem cells to help people suffering from illness or pain.

Because stem cells have the unique ability to transform into whatever type of healthy cells a person might need, you might be wondering if they can be used to help ease joint pain. The kind of stem cells necessary to heal your joints come from adult bone marrow or fat.

Once harvested, these stem cells are injected into the affected joint and begin to heal the injury. In the case of something like osteoarthritis, the stem cells develop into essential cartilage cells that reduce pain and slow degeneration.

With stem cells rebuilding the structural cells in your tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and even bone, you will find that you are able to take on the world with less pain. That is why more and more doctors are turning to stem cells when it comes to treating joint pain.