It is no surprise that pain can come in many shapes and sizes and can occur at any point in our lives, often when we least anticipate it. Therefore, it is wise to plan for a self-care strategy in case the intensity of our pain reaches a point where it impairs our daily functioning or diverts our attention.
If you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or uncertain when considering taking responsibility for your own well being, you should find a person who is knowledgeable in this area. It could be a friend, health professional, coach, personal trainer, or even a massage therapist. They can provide guidance and advice on the best path for you to take.
When it comes to common pain, which is usually associated with soft tissues or muscles, there are three primary approaches that one can take in order to manage it in their everyday life. These are: Prevention, First Aid and Long Term Management.
Staying Away from Trouble:
The best way to avoid potential problems is to take the necessary precautions. This could involve being aware of one’s surroundings, taking measures to ensure safety, and being prepared to handle potential issues that may arise.
Although it is impossible to ensure a life completely free of pain, you can take preventative steps to minimize the risk of injury. A regular exercise regimen consisting of aerobic and cardio vascular activity, strength training, and stretching with some variation, can help keep your body function optimally and enable you to continue doing the activities you love without fear of suffering an injury.
If you’re interested in activities such as mountain climbing, sky diving, or skiing deep powder, you should definitely increase your fitness to a level that makes sense for the goals you have set.
First Aid Procedures:
Having a good understanding of the basics of first aid is essential for any situation. It is important to be able to recognize when a situation requires medical help and how to provide the right care until that help arrives. Being able to provide first aid in a timely manner can make the difference between life and death. Knowing the basics of first aid can help individuals be prepared for any emergency.
When injury strikes, the pain is usually a sign that something is wrong. Although your ideas may not turn out the way you expected, it is important to assess the injury. Is it a broken bone, sprain, strain, or a trauma? Your responses will give you a better understanding of what happened so that you can avoid it in the future. Generally, icing, rest, compression, and elevation are the initial treatments for soft tissue injuries. More serious muscle and joint trauma require more complex healing and recovery strategies.
Managing Discomfort for Extended Periods of Time:
When it comes to managing pain in the long-term, prevention and first aid are essential first steps, and all of these care phases eventually become a continuous process. Those seeking effective self-care may struggle to find knowledgeable pain management clinicians, as noted by David Simons, M.D.: “Finding a truly skilled practitioner can be frustratingly difficult.” Nevertheless, he adds, “It is possible to control one’s own musculoskeletal pain by treating myofascial trigger points yourself; this is not just a way of temporarily relieving it, but of addressing the source of the pain.”
The self care principle is a result of the trigger point identification and treatment protocol that was created before and after WWII by Hans Kraus, M.D. and Janet Travell, M.D. This was supplemented by the work of aerospace researcher and doctor David G. Simons, M.D. By the late 1970s, Bonnie Prudden, a widely recognized exercise therapist, had developed her own, non-invasive trigger point protocol which was based on the earlier works of Kraus and Travell.
In the early 1900s, Prudden developed her own technique, which she referred to as Myotherapy. She wrote a book about it and founded an Academy for Physical Fitness and Myotherapy in a former elementary school in Lenox Massachusetts. Students trained there to become professional Myotherapists. The Prudden Myotherapy treatment includes the following key elements:
The efficacy of this healing program is evaluated through the subjective decline in hurt, greater mobility and range of motion as well as an increased force, stamina and general physical performance. Additionally, success is gauged by the extent to which patients become main contributors in their continued self-care.
In the past three decades, the myotherapeutic model has been extensively implemented by medical doctors and therapists from a variety of professional backgrounds within the realm of physical medicine. Consequently, this approach is now widely recognized as an efficient and conservative treatment choice.
In order to ensure a comprehensive patient intake process, a myotherapist should investigate any precipitating factors.
The purpose is to find out what elements and conditions have led to the occurrence of the patient’s signs and symptoms.
Myofascial release of trigger points is accomplished through deep, manual ischemia-inducing compression of the soft tissues.
Incorporating individualized active and passive stretching exercises, with the use of a coolant spray applied topically, can be beneficial.
Providing detailed guidance to patients on how to look after themselves at home, including applying deep muscle compression, stretching, and performing strengthening exercises; as well as teaching them how to manage and prevent potential triggers.