These occur when there is an inflammation of the body’s muscular system. Myofascial pain is a term that refers to the muscles and to the cellophane-like membrane that covers the muscles.
Such conditions are difficult to diagnose as there are no effective examinations or techniques to indicate their presence. The diagnosis is sometimes made only in [...]
Patterns of pain behaviour are very self-destructive.Yet sometimes people discover that there are coincidental, secondary rewards for suffering, such as increased attention, decreased family responsibility and avoidance of sexual activity. Alternatively, the pain can be used to provide a convenient tool which can be used to manipulate others.The attraction of such games may be strong [...]
Bruce was riding his motor bike along the heavily treed banks of a river and failed to see a large tree branch which caught his shoulder. The immediate result was of a tearing pain at the base of his neck followed almost instantaneously by total paralysis of the affected arm. A moment later the motorcycle [...]
Many of the problems arising between doctors and patients appear from the perceived and common myths regarding chronic pain: It’s all in your head
To some extent all pain is in your head. Because pain is a purely subjective experience — pain is what you say hurts!
Just ignore that pain and it will go away
Many forms [...]
Many medicines can cause headaches, Sometimes these are ‘purely’ side-effects -what in medical terms are called idiosyncratic read ions; a patient, gels a headache while taking a particular drug, whereas other people generally don’t. Idiosyncratic reactions tend to be specific to a particular drug in a particular patient, and usually the onset, of the headache [...]
Self-help in anxiety/depression has three main parts. First of all, be prepared to admit that you’re depressed; secondly, don’t wallow in it, but get professional help; and, finally, start helping yourself to get out of it. This is not the same as ‘pulling yourself together’, which doesn’t work, mainly because it’s directed at the wrong [...]
Fungi sometimes grow in air-conditioning systems, particularly where humidifiers are used, as the warm, wet conditions inside the humidifiers are ideal for promoting fungal growth. Contaminated air-conditioning and ducted warm-air heating can both pump large amounts of air polluted with millions of fungal spores around the building, and anyone who is allergic to these spores [...]
At least some headaches in children occur because of unsuspected eye problems. Squinting or focussing difficulties cause headaches when they are minor, because the child can compensate for the problem by tensing up the eye muscles or peering. This leads on to tension in the muscles of the eye and face, and to tension headaches. [...]
Complementary therapies can help deal with some of the secondary effects of the menopause.
Acupuncture can stimulate the body to deal more effectively with anxiety, depression, stress and irritability. It is supposed also to improve the balance of hormones, which will reduce the symptoms of the menopause. Headaches and migraine can he relieved by treatment to [...]