Pain management clinic Perth
Pain management and a mum’s instinct: seeing the similarity
- Author: Dr Reza Feizerfan
- First published:
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Pain management clinic Perth
From a mum's instinct to our pain relief strategy
Imagine a toddler falling on their knees during play and crying loudly. Immediately, mum is there, assessing the situation. She quickly realises it’s not a serious injury, and advises, “Be careful next time, sweetie.”
“Mums are often the best pain specialists.They quickly assess the seriousness of the situation and gently guide their children in order to prevent serious accidents. It’s very similar to what we do at Pain Specialists WA. We take the time to understand your unique situation. Then, we will guide you with practical advice and strategies.”
It’s not just about treating pain; it’s about understanding it. We help you recognise what makes your pain worse and what alleviates it. This could involve posture corrections, lifestyle adjustments, or simple daily activities that can either prevent pain from worsening or help in managing it better.
Finding joy: how distraction helps
Let’s go back to our crying toddler. Even though mum already knows that it’s just a scratch, the pain persists and the toddler is still crying. Quite often mum’s next step is distraction. “Look, there’s a bird!”.
Similarly, in pain medicine we’ll ask you to focus on enjoyable moments and activities. Sometimes life modifications, adjustments in daily activities, avoiding unhelpful thoughts, returning to routines are all is needed. “Can’t fish on a rocking boat? Try fishing from the jetty. Can’t go mountain biking? A gentle ride around the lake might be just right for you.”
“It’s important to focus on what you can do, even though you may find it easier to concentrate on what you can’t. A positive attitude will help overcome your issues, a negative won’t necessarily.”
Pain medication: a little comfort along the way
Now imagine our toddler is still crying and doesn’t bother about the bird, mum’s next pain management strategy may be giving her child a piece of chocolate.
“In pain management, this strategy is similar to prescribing medication. The medication is not a cure, but a way to ease symptoms. It helps lower pain levels, so you can participate is physical therapies better, improve your condition and get back on the track. Now, too many chocolate or eating chocolate for weeks and weeks is not good. Taking too many pain killers or being on them long term also is not good!”
With toddlers, giving candy or chocolate quite often is the final step to soothe them. But sometimes they need a tad of extra care, and this is the moment when mum may involve her partner, grandparents or other guardians.
In pain management, we compare this strategy with referring a patient to an allied health practitioner to provide comprehensive care.
The gate control theory
Pain isn't just a direct result of physical injury or damage
In the turmoil that follows after the toddler’s fall, it’s not hard to imagine that the mother at some point will have kissed or rubbed her child’s knees. It’s something most of us do instinctively. This comforting action is surprisingly similar to an important concept in pain management known as the gate control theory. So what exactly is this theory?
“Imagine your nervous system as a gate: when the gate is open, pain signals pass through easily, making you feel more pain. However, certain techniques – like a comforting touch , specifically tailored physiotherapy for your condition or use of TENS machine – can reduce your pain by closing the gate. There are so many other factors and treatments (physical therapies, gentle exercises, medications altering neuro chemicals in the spinal cord, sleep hygiene or even positive thoughts) that can help reducing the sensation of pain.”
Just like a mother’s soothing touch can ‘close’ the gate and ease a child’s discomfort, our treatments aim to intervene in how pain signals are processed by your brain.
Whether it’s through physical therapies, mindfulness practices, or other methods, we work to manage the ‘gate’ and bring you relief. This approach doesn’t just tackle the physical aspect of pain but addresses how your mind responds to and processes pain, offering a comprehensive path to comfort.
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Pain is more than just discomfort; it can disrupt your life. A specialist at a pain management clinic is specifically trained and educated to look closely on what is going on.
If you’re ready to explore how Pain Specialists WA can help you manage your pain, we invite you to book an appointment – your first step towards a life with less pain.