Senior Health: Nighttime Pain Management

Practically every senior that I know complains of throbbing sore joints and muscles, and it always seems worse at night.  You crawl into bed with hopes of having a good night sleep to find that your body hurts so much that you can hardly turn over in bed.  What do you do?

 

Brenda Goodman shared a couple of suggestions in her article “Nix Nighttime Pain,” (Arthritis Today: Fall 2010).  She researched some home remedies to make you feel more comfortable as you settle in for the night.

 

• Stay Warm:  Try a bath before bed, wear socks and use a heating pad to keep those muscles warm and lose.  Warm muscles are lest apt to cramp.

 

• Pad Sore Parts:  If you have never had trouble with blood clots you can pad sore knees by putting a pillow between or under them.  A posture pillow is great if your neck and upper back are sore.  A cushion between your knees will feel good if you are a side sleeper because it will take some of the stress away from your hips.

 

• Talk to your doctor about severe pain, but be careful about self medicating and over dosing yourself on pain medication.

 

A lot of studies have been conducted relating to chronic pain issues but the answers are seldom conclusive.  It is reassuring to know that experts are working on different lines of treatment that avoid relying too heavily on drugs.  Jeannine Stein (Los Angeles Times: July 5, 2010) wrote about relief through movement.  You don’t have to look very far to find articles that recommend exercise as a treatment modality.  Movement based therapies such as yoga, tai chi and other forms of exercise are gaining acceptance when it comes to chronic pain management.  Study groups indicate that people who exercise have considerably less pain and stiffness in their joints, more abdominal strength and better balance than those that did not. 

 

When pain becomes chronic, people do less and as a result the muscles get weaker and tighter and you think about pain a lot.  Movement techniques help muscles relax and make them stronger in addition to decreasing stress levels.  Slow rhythmic breathing and movement seem to be the answer, although exercise isn’t a magic pill and it may take weeks or even month to measure significant results.

 

Another school of thought suggests that you turn to brain power to relieve pain.  Mike Roizen (The Examiner: Washington, D.C.: July 11, 2010) explores meditation as a drug-free remedy.  This of course is something that you could practice at home, along with that warm bath and heating pad.   Chronic pain is real.  When you are in pain; stress and worry kick in and tricks your brain into thinking that it is worse than it is.  De-stressing with meditation dials back the stress hormones and diminishes pain.  Try progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery.    Muscle relaxation is great but guided imagery is truly wonderful on many levels.  Guided imagery sends you on a journey to a beautiful quiet place and the relaxation process is unbelievable.  My favorites include the series by Kelly Howell, although I know there are others, and I found that at the Public Library.  Please do introduce yourself to meditation as a form of pain management.