Living With Pain

Recently Answered

• QHow do I deal with post-operative pain?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Be Realistic - Pain usually decreases significantly within two weeks following surgery. Ghansham Cheta, a physician’s assistant with the pain-management team who has treated dozens of patients, reports that having reasonable expectations will go a long way in your recovery. “You probably won’t be pain free when you get home. You should anticipate some soreness after major surgery."
  
  Don't Tough It Out - Treating pain promptly is always best. Don't delay taking the prescribed medication when the pain starts. Failing to treat pain can interfere with the healing process and cause depression in some patients.
  
  Education Is Key Understanding - What you are taking and how it works will help you recover faster. One important consideration: medication that you take by mouth takes 30–45minutes longer to start working than the same drug taken by IV in the hospital. Don’t hesitate to contact your doctor with your questions and concerns about your medication.
• QHow do I benefit by holding on to pain?

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  A Lisa Oz , Health Education, answered

  You must know that your attitude and outlook are within your control and that being unhappy is a choice. However, I want to take this idea a little further. Look at the ways in which you might benefit by holding on to your pain. Does your suffering give you a way to connect (as when you complain about your boss to a coworker)? Does it give you significance and meaning? Does it give you a sense of control? I know several people who use their disease as a way of manipulating people or situations: "Oh, I cannot do that. You know I have a heart condition." Rather than taking charge of their health and using the disease as the impetus for making substantial changes in their lives, they turn it into an excuse - and a tool for getting what they want.

  Playing the victim allows you to assume high moral ground. If someone has treated you poorly, then that person is bad and you are good. Other than taking on the identity of victim, you have actually not done anything to warrant that feeling of righteousness. However, if you do not use your victimization as an incentive for your own growth, rather than a means of controlling others, then it actually prevents your pain from transforming you.

• QCan anger help me deal with my pain?

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  A Lisa Oz , Health Education, answered

  Anger is one of the most common and least productive ways in which we deal with our pain. Since it is such a strong emotion, it can mask many other less comfortable things we may be feeling - like fear, vulnerability, and heartache. It is also a way for us to project that pain onto others. On some warped subconscious level, we think that by passing the pain along, we are getting rid of it ourselves.

  When we send negativity back in the form of punishment to those we think have offended us, we feel we have somehow restored order to the universe. This is just stupid. Emotional pain, in all its manifestations, does not diminish as it is spreads from one person to another. Like love, it increases by sharing with others, so hurting someone else to make yourself feel better never works.

• QWhat are the latest recommendations to manage pain after surgery?

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  A Dr. Stuart A. Linder, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered

  In my practice my patients are normally started on Vicodin ES once they arrive home or to the aftercare facility. Tylenol #3 may also be used in patients who do not tolerate vicodin. In the past Darvocett N-100 was used for patients who became nauseated with codeine. It however has recently been taken off the market. Interestingly, ice compression of our surgical site (breasts, abdomen, thighs) greatly reduces swelling and pain early on and can be quite helpful. Anxiolytics such as valium can also be used to relax both the mind and the body. Finally, muscle relaxants such as Flexeril is useful on our breast augmentation and abdominoplasty patients who have had subpectoral implants placed or tightening of the rectus muscles.

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• QWhat exercises should I avoid if I experience sciatic nerve pain?

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  A National Academy of Sports Medicine answered

  During a sciatic "flare up," it may be best to rest for a day or two. However, be sure to avoid extended periods of inactivity as this can actually cause further degeneration and more pain. Some exercises to avoid once you resume physical activity include hip abduction machines, heavy squats, and high impact exercises such as running/sprinting and aerobics classes. The sciatic nerve runs from your spinal cord to your buttocks and down the back of both legs. It is the largest nerve in your body. Several factors can contribute to sciatic nerve pain including a herniated disk and piriformis syndrome. Individuals with sciatic nerve pain should choose low impact exercise such as walking, water aerobics, core strengthening exercises and light stretching. The cause of the pain will dictate which exercises are most appropriate.