Building resilience to pain by gatekeeping
Gatekeep your heart and mind so as to build resilience and thrive in spite illness, suffering and hardship. And teach your child and others to do the same.
My article contribution to PRIME magazine on Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is common. Here is an article I wrote for PRIME magazine to highlight the different treatment options available.
Look for the right person to do your pain procedure
Choose the right doctor for your pain procedure.
Maybe I’m a lion
We need to be gatekeepers of our minds, to be resilient, to forgive and forget, to dream and wonder and explore the world of maybes and possibilities. To believe that we are lions.
This Pain Doc
Dr Thor Timothy, Anuntapon Chutatape loves putting everyone to sleep, and helping them be pain-free without an operation. The Anaesthesiologist and Pain Specialist specialises in minimally invasive techniques to treat…
Low back pain when coughing
Is my back pain serious? Low back pain when coughing and sneezing can be a common and frustrating experience. It can make it difficult to perform everyday activities, such as…
Treatment for Chronic Post-vasectomy Pain in Singapore
Chronic post-vasectomy pain can be treated with medications, physiotherapy, and injections and pulse radiofrequency, before considering surgery.
Intermittent fasting reduces pain by reducing inflammation
Intermittent fasting reduces pain. This is a popular dietary practice that involves alternating periods of eating and fasting. This type of eating pattern has been shown to have a number…
Pulse radiofrequency to treat headaches and migraines!
Pulse radiofrequency (PRF) treatment is a non-invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to target specific areas of the head and neck that are believed to be involved in the development…
Does retirement and FIRE aggravate chronic pain? The answer may surprise you.
We have all read about the ‘financial independence, retire early’ FIRE movement. This is a way of life characterized by being financially prudent, saving and investing early and regularly. A…
Intermittent fasting and exercise reduces pain and disability
Intermittent fasting reduces pain levels A recent study of sedentary volunteers with chronic low back pain found that intermittent fasting reduces pain. Regardless of whether patients do exercises, intermittent fasting…
Acupuncture to treat severe low back pain?
Overview of Low Back Pain and Acupuncture Severe low back pain is a debilitating condition. Acupuncture has emerged as a promising first line treatment in uncomplicated cases, as it has…
Dementia and stroke can result from widespread pain
Widespread pain, pain everywhere increases risk of dementia and stroke. Control pain early in order to prevent changes in the brain and its blood vessels.
2 Important Back Exercises for slipped disc & low back pain
Exercises for back pain Exercises for slipped disc and low back pain come in many forms, but the specific treatment will depend on the underlying cause. In general, back pain…
COVID-19 vaccine: will it exacerbate my pain?
COVID-19 vaccines are important in preventing ICU admission, death and mortality. Side-effects like transient flares in pain can occur lasting days to weeks, but it prevents severe COVID-19 symptoms. Severe COVID-19 symptoms are life-threatening and may necessitate ICU care which will put you at a much higher risk of chronic pain and permanent physical and psychological disability.
Diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Complex regional pain syndrome has been known as causalgia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy in the past. Previously, the way this syndrome was diagnosed was not standardised and more derived from…
Fight pain like an Olympian
With the vaccination, some patients with chronic pain feel that their back or neck or neuropathic pain hurts more. I reassure them that it is temporary and will go away with time. It is nevertheless a fight daily, to be positive, to keep moving, to keep breathing, to never surrender to chronic pain. Once in a while you may need a minimally-invasive procedure like an injection to the muscle or joint or disc to break out of the vicious pain cycle.
When it feels like rain
You are not alone even if it oftentimes feels like it. There is help available for chronic pain.
Empowered
Treatment of pain with medications and procedures and operations should not be seen simply as an escape from suffering, but as a waypoint on the journey towards being empowered to pursue ones dream without an encumbrance.
Desensitisation for Pain Relief
Most of us often avoid touching painful areas. However, some desensitization techniques may help to ‘reset’ irritable nerves in some pain conditions. When your brain receives different sensory impulses, it begins to process the pain signal more normally. Over time, the pain experience will become more tolerable and less unpleasant.
Massage. Gentle massage may be tried starting in the the area next to the painful area first.
Towel rubs. Use a cloth or towel (such as polar fleece or cotton towels) to gently rub the affected area. Different textures may be tried.
Gentle tapping. Use a wooden spatula to gently tap the affected area.
Stretching. Gently stretch the joint around the painful area.
Rice or sand bins. Fill an empty storage bin or plastic dish tub with clean sand, uncooked rice, or uncooked beans. Put the affected part of the body into the bin and try to move it.
Contrast baths. Use two large bowls or plastic dish tubs, one with cool water and a few ice cubes and one with warm water. Immerse the affected body part in 1 bin for 2 to 3 minutes then switch to the other bin. Repeat this 2 to 3 times. Always finish with the warm water bath. Ensure the temperature is not over 42 degrees Celsius.
Graded desensitization is not for everyone. Do consult your pain specialist before you try.
Freedom from pain should allow you to run towards your goals
Seeking pain relief should not be the end goal in itself, but a means to achieving a better quality of life as you are able to do what you love.
Navigating your way through the fog of pain
One of the way out of chronic pain is to love and to forgive ourselves.