In this article our Naturopathic doctors of Phoenix and Scottsdale will help you help discern the difference between the aches and pains associated with "aging and arthritis" verses pain that needs more medical attention. Its true that as we age (especially past age 40) pain is a more common issue that occurs. This does not mean that every ache and pain you get is here to stay? When you fall and hit your knee and the pain is not going away after 7 days, do you need to get it looked at? How about that lower back pain that comes and goes but seems to be coming more than it is going? While chronic pain is more common over age 40, sometimes things get better on their own. Let's look at some ways you can determine if your pain needs a closer look by a pain management doctor. 

When to see your phoenix doctor?

The pain itself will usually give you a good idea on what to do and when. For instance:

• When your pain goes on for more than 48 hrs and is not improving, you should start thinking about seeing a doctor. 
• If the pain is significantly impairing your movement and daily activities, you should see a doctor immediately but especially if it goes on for more than 48 hrs. 
• Is this pain "the worst pain you have ever had"? If so, its a good idea to see a doctor right away. Another thing to think about is the severity of pain. 

A common way for phoenix doctors and pain management doctors to rate pain is on a scale of 1-10. This can be difficult to do at times, but think about it like this: 10 is the worst pain you have ever had or can imagine having and 0 is no pain at all.

• If your pain is 6 or higher for two days, see your phoenix doctor right away because they can probably help you determine why the pain is there and help it get better quicker.

The location of pain can often be an indicator of what to do as well. For instance, any pain in the chest or abdomen warrants greater care because it often corresponds to vital organs like heart, kidneys, intestine, etc. These kinds of pains should cause greater concern and have a lower threshold for seeking medical attention.

• If you have pain in one of these areas, go see your Phoenix or Scottsdale doctor. 

So what about those pains that are lower on the pain scale.... the ones that come and go but don't stay gone?

Most of the time the aches and pain associated with aging are the result of arthritis and overuse. In other words, they amount to minor muscle strains and changes in the joints. Typically speaking as we age, exercise levels decline leaving muscles and tendons more venerable to strains and overuse. Even those that do exercise regularly may not cross train leaving only certain muscle venerable to overuse and strain.  With these types of pain, the worst of it is usually better within 48 hrs - 72 hrs. They may significantly impair movement but only temporarily (about 24hrs or less). For some, the injury may linger and last a while without treatment. This is where holistic pain management can help by stimulating healing to repair the damaged tissue without creating more problems and side effects.  Treatment will vary, however, based on whether the pain is from an acute problem or chronic ongoing issue. 

Treating an acute injury

Acute injuries from sports related activities, minor bangs and bruises, muscle strains, etc, are typically going to respond best to RICE. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. These four techniques are going to minimize the inflammation and swelling in the area. Inflammation is good to repair the damaged tissue, but too much inflammation can also impair healing. RICE and topical methyl salysalates like tiger balm can be very helpful for both pain relief and decreasing healing time. In addition we recommend 1-2 acupuncture treatments to progress the healing process forward even more quickly. For injuries that have been more long standing over 2-3 months, a more aggressive treatment approach may be needed.

Approaching chronic injuries and pain

Once an injury has become a chronic standing painful condition, it becomes more difficult to treat and recover from. That does not mean it is impossible, however. Holistic pain management starts with the premise of not only managing pain but treating the cause of the pain. This can include the psychological aspect of the pain as well as the physical malady. 

Many of our older patients remark how they feel more pain as they get older. This happens in part because as we age our ability to dampen pain inside our brains decreases. You see as the signal fr pain travels up to the brain there are secondary signals that can come in from higher thinking centers that can up-regulate or down-regulate the pain signal. As we age the down-regulation part is diminished as a result of decrease natural endorphins. So in addition to degeneration in joints, and a decrease in physical fitness, there is a decrease in things like natural endorphins which subdue pain signals. 

So the message here is that pain is not always from physical injuries and injuries don't have to turn into chronic pain. When chronic pain is there, it does not mean the pain is static. It can be treated and treated holistically . To learn more about treatment options for your pain in phoenix or Scottsdale, click on the link below for a free consult.