Posts tagged with "pain management st augustine fl"

Understanding Chronic Migraines: Symptoms & Treatment Options

Are you someone who experiences recurrent headaches that ruin your daily routine? Do these headaches make you feel nauseous, sensitive to light, and disrupt your work? If the answer is yes, you might be experiencing migraines.

Migraines are a type of headache that can cause severe pain and discomfort. However, if your headaches occur more than 15 days a month, you may be suffering from chronic migraines. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the symptoms of chronic migraines and available migraine treatment in Jacksonville, FL.

 

What are Chronic Migraines?

Chronic migraines are a severe form of headache that triggers throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head for 15 or more days a month, lasting more than three months. They are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and vomiting. Chronic migraines affect 1-2% of the population.

 

What Causes Chronic Migraines?

 

The exact cause of chronic migraines is unknown. However, the theories suggest genetics, environmental factors, and hormonal changes may contribute to its development. Stress, sleep disturbances, and diet factors can trigger migraines as well. Identifying the triggers and avoiding them can help manage chronic migraines.

 

Treatment Options for Chronic Migraines

 

There are several treatment options available for chronic migraine patients. The first step in treating migraine patients is assessing their medical history and symptoms. Topical treatments, including applying heat or cold, can help with the discomfort. Medications for migraines are usually divided into prevention or abortive options. Preventive treatment includes medicine such as blood pressure and seizure medications. Abortive treatment is taken when a migraine occurs, including Triptans, which targets pain pathways in the brain. Additionally, Botox injections have been approved by the FDA for the prophylactic treatment of chronic migraines.

 

Importance of Pain Management

 

Pain management can make a significant difference in the quality of life of chronic migraine patients. Patients with chronic migraines often have depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, directly impacting their ability to function. Pain clinics, like Florida Pain Physicians, provide an interdisciplinary approach, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, such as behavioral and physical therapy.

5 Natural Remedies for Migraine Relief & Prevention

Migraines are a common problem for people, especially women. This type of headache is debilitating and has different symptoms, including sensitivity to light, nausea, and vomiting. While a medical migraine treatment in Jacksonville, FL, may provide relief, several home remedies are also effective. Incorporating ginger, yoga, acupuncture, vitamins, and compresses into a self-care routine helps reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.

 

Recommended Home Remedies

  1. Ginger: This flowering plant is an excellent natural remedy for migraines, reducing inflammation and nausea. Research has proved that ginger is safe and effective, significantly relieving the pain.
  2. Yoga: Besides being an ancient exercise, yoga is an effective remedy for migraine relief. It alleviates anxiety, tension, and stress, which worsen episodes.
  3. Acupuncture: This traditional Chinese medicine practice involves inserting thin needles into body parts. Acupuncture therapy relieves pain, reduces stress, and improves sleep quality, effectively treating migraines.
  4. Vitamins: Studies have found that B2, magnesium, and D vitamins are excellent for migraine pain management. Nevertheless, patients should consult a physician to determine whether these supplements are a good option.
  5. Compresses: For pain management, some people find that laying a cool or warm compress on their forehead provides relief when experiencing a migraine.
Back Pain Treatment

Lower Back Pain: Managing Symptoms & Discomfort at Home

Lower back pain is likely one of your primary physical complaints by the time you reach middle age. While pain management can include over-the-counter medication, continual discomfort can affect mobility and day-to-day tasks. Back pain treatment in Orange Park, FL, can help alleviate the symptoms and help you return to normal activity levels.

 

However, you can use at-home remedies to manage your aches and spasms until your next pain specialist appointment.

 

Keep Moving – you typically don’t want to move when in pain, but keeping those muscles active will loosen them and reduce discomfort.

 

Stretch & Strengthen – stretching and strengthening your back muscles will help relieve pain and can also prevent it.

 

Sit Up Straight – good posture prevents back pain from starting and can alleviate it when inflammation flares up.

 

Maintaining a Healthy Weight – losing weight can take the strain off your back, so eating a healthy diet can help eliminate those extra pounds.

 

Stop Smoking – smoking can increase your risk for degenerative disk disease or other spine problems.

 

Ice & Heat – choose whichever option works best for you. Cold is good for reducing inflammation, and heat eases stiffness.

 

Over-The-Counter Medications – nonprescription pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen can help with pain management.

 

Medicated Creams – creams, salves, ointments, or patches can help a stiff, sore, or tense back by cooling, heating, or numbing the affected area.

Pain Management

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain

In your search for relief, you may have heard of spinal cord stimulation as a possible back pain treatment. While it may not be right for everyone, many patients experience life-changing effects from this procedure. Here is what you should know about spinal cord stimulation, according to the staff at our center for pain management in St. Augustine, FL.

 

Spinal Cord Stimulation Blocks Pain Signals: By stopping or otherwise modifying the activity of your pain-signaling nerves, spinal cord stimulation prevents the sensation from reaching your brain—and thus being experienced by you.

 

A Small Device Is Implanted in Your Back: While spinal cord stimulation requires surgery, it is a minimally invasive procedure. The device is implanted near your spine, where it sends electrical signals to disrupt your nerves’ activities. You can control the device’s electrical signal for personalized pain management.

 

You Can Try It Out Before Implantation: Before having the device permanently implanted, you may test whether it is the proper back pain treatment for you with a trial period. The wires that hold the implant will be inserted through an outpatient procedure, but the device will remain external. These trial periods typically last for five to seven days, allowing you to see what your life can be like with spinal cord stimulation.