Health Awareness
Managing pain 2019
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The future of drug-free pain management in sport
The role of the Sports Scientist is to keep athletes and players on track with minimal adverse side effects. Andy Murray Pain, and its effective management, can make or break an athlete’s career. Anyone viewing Andy Murray’s emotional press conference before the Australian Open this year couldn’t help but be moved. The tennis pro announced...
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Being pregnant and managing my chronic pain
“If it was not for colour, visual imagery and emotional expression, my journey experiencing chronic spinal pain would have been very different” says Emma Scott-Smith, Professional Artist and Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Stirling. From the time I first became bedridden, fashion and art kept me linked to the outside world. My parents...
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Personalisation of spinal cord stimulation can put the patient in control
Dr Vivek Mehta, consultant in pain medicine and neuromodulation, discusses spinal stimulation and tells us which patients are suitable for this newly personalised treatment. Treatment of pain is changing “Spinal cord stimulation should be used earlier in pain management than it is at the moment,” says Dr Vivek Mehta, consultant in pain medicine and neuromodulation...
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Responding to the global burden of pain
Pain is having a huge impact on patients and their families’ lives across the world, but better recognition, treatments and management outcomes can improve life for those living with chronic pain. IASP is committed to leading this effort. Chronic pain is a leading factor in contributing to the global burden of disease, primarily through the...
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Spinal cord stimulation is an option for when other treatments have failed
Mr Adam Williams, consultant neurosurgeon, explains the principles behind spinal cord stimulation and the potential benefits of newer devices that allow therapy to be personalised for individual patients. “Pain affects the whole scope of people’s lives – effective treatment can bring them back toward normality, although every patient feels their pain differently. The impact of...
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It’s your body and your choice of implant
If you are preparing for a joint replacement operation, you have the freedom to choose your surgeon — and your implant. So do some investigating and make your voice heard. As we age, degenerative arthritis can take a devastating toll on our bodies, and particularly our hips and knees. That’s because articular cartilage, the low...
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Migraine: a debilitating condition but there are new treatments available
Migraine is a health condition that comes with multiple symptoms, which can attack people over decades of their lives. Symptoms may include a severe, one-sided, throbbing headache that can last up to 72 hours, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to normal levels of light, sound and smell, and visual disturbance. But, in between migraine attacks, people...
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The management of chronic pain is an important issue
Dr Zaid Hirmiz, a GP and musculoskeletal lead, explains how new pathways for chronic pain can improve patient self-reliance and reduce opioid use. “The management of chronic pain is an important issue,” says Dr Zaid Hirmiz, Musculoskeletal Lead for NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG, NHS Southampton City CCG and NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG. Chronic...
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Arthritis shouldn’t stop life, but adjusting is key to winning the battle
Osteoarthritis has made getting older a more stressful experience than Miriam Margolyes envisaged. However, simple changes are allowing her to continue to lead the fullest of lives. Three years ago, celebrated actress, Miriam Margolyes, underwent surgery to replace her troublesome left knee. The pain had got to the stage that she was trying to avoid...
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The doctor sent me to a psychologist for my chronic pain. I’m not mad!
The result of a two-year study by the leading UK chronic pain charity, Pain Concern, was to develop and trial a simple ‘Navigator Tool’ to facilitate better consultations between patients and GPs, and to support the recommended self-management approach to managing chronic pain Considering that doctors do what seems like decades of training, surely, they...
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How a European approach gives the best results for chronic pain patients
Working together with members and stakeholders to help improve the quality of life of people living with chronic pain, Pain Alliance Europe (PAE) focuses on those areas where a European approach gives the best results for every chronic pain patient. Things won’t change only by telling stories about the worst situations chronic pain patients experience....
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Multi-disciplinary pain management is essential for managing patients with pain
Pain management is changing and more needs to be done to support the multi-disciplinary teams who are on the front line. Brona Fullen is the first female in her role, and the first chartered physiotherapist. She is the new President Elect of the European Pain Federation (EFIC) and her appointment sends an unambiguous message that...
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Opioids could help you manage your pain
Supporting patients with chronic pain is complex and requires appropriate medicine along with support from multi-disciplinary teams. When it comes to treating chronic pain, there is no magic pill. Great emphasis is placed on medicine, but this is just one part, albeit an important one, of the complex mix of considerations that need to be...
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Chronic pain patients should be at the heart of pain management
I lived with pain for over 20 years; I understand patients’ struggles. Pain is a hidden condition that blights the lives of more than 28 million people in the UK alone, and we need long-term solutions that better meet their needs. Pain isn’t always visible, but it has a profound and devastating impact on the...
