Tag Archives: chronic pain

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Handling addiction pains professionally

June 23, 2016
Handling addiction pains

Handling addiction pains professionally is the best way of approaching all addiction related issues

Handling addiction pains professionally: Keeping the healthy focus

At the mention of alcohol and drug addiction, the mind switches to negativity, stigma and discrimination. This is very unfortunate because we are talking of a health problem and not to crucify the victims of addiction. In handling addiction pains professionally, a lot needs to be done soberly. Because this is a health condition, it must be treated as one. That is why Dr. Dalal Akoury made a decision of creating a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) with a sole objective of transforming each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power.

Over the years doctor Akoury’s practices have been focusing on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This is what addiction patients need and not victimization. Treatment and not condemnation. Therefore if you are following this and you or any one you know is struggling with any kind of addiction, you have an opportunity to correct things today by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today by calling her on telephone number 843 213 1480 for a one on one deliberations about your addiction complications. As you consider doing that, the following are some of the benefits you will get when you enter into a recovery program with AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Extra focus when needed

More often than not, addiction comes with complicating factors such as mental health issues related to depression, anxiety, or trauma. We take an integrated approach to your care, addressing addiction and mental health issues at the same time. Your treatment team includes medical and mental health professionals who design your care plan with whatever therapies, services, and medications are appropriate.

With you every step

Regaining and maintaining your health means learning to live differently; learning to manage a chronic disease. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center our help and support won’t stop with the completion of your treatment. Besides treatment you will also receive a personalized continuing care plan to support your recovery.

Handling addiction pains professionally: The whole family is affected if one member has addiction

It may interest you to note that when dealing with addiction, there is no room for selfishness. If you were to make any meaningful progress all addiction complication treatment begins with you as a care giver. This is very important because regardless of whether your loved one seeks addiction treatment or not the pain is with the whole family unit. And by you visiting this site, you are already making positive steps towards helping your loved ones. This is because doctor Akoury and her team of experts have for the last decades been helping individuals and families reclaim their lives from the pain and chaos of addiction. Our joy is seeing families and individuals who were losing hope get their lives back and living it to the fullest. All we want is to help so call us today.

Handling addiction pains professionally: Keeping the healthy focus

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The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking

September 2, 2015

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: The role of nicotine in pain

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking

understanding the association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking is very key to finding lasting solutions to all pains that are associated with all forms of addiction

Pain is one thing that no one would wish to be associated with in life. It may not matter whether the pain is physical or emotional so long as it is causing an individual pain. What surprises many is that while we complain of pain we often engage in certain behaviors that facilitate and inflict pain in our lives. Take for instance the association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking, you may not be surprised seeing a smoker complaining of pain in the body that he or she has inflicted in their lives. This is what we want to discuss primary to create awareness about the link between chronic pain and cigarette smoking. This is something you don’t want to miss because all of us are either directly or indirectly affected by way of secondary smoke. To take us through the discussion, we are going to be talking to doctor Dalal Akoury (MD) a veteran addiction expert of several decades and also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center a facility that is researching and offering lasting solutions to all people globally who are struggling with all kinds of addictions. Therefore let us progress into the discussion by responding to this question, why does smoking worsen pain? Professionally doctor Akoury explains that smoking cigarette will affect your body in many different ways. Those who smoke are at greater risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, it also stains your teeth, damages your lungs, wrinkles your skin and most importantly it changes how your body perceives and react to pain. Doctor Akoury shares with us some of the reasons why cigarette smoking has direct impact in worsening your chronic pain.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: Effects of smoking on the proper blood flow

We are all conversant with the fact that the blood is playing a key role in transporting various elements that are necessary for the proper functionality of the body across the body parts. This role is seriously hampered by smoking. As a matter of fact smoking is one of the most harmful effects of in your body since it narrows your blood vessels thereby restricting the blood floor. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center while studying the effects of smoking has established that the nicotine found in cigarette smoke causes the blood vessels to shrink and as a result of that you’re the body of such individual is deprived of oxygen and other essential nutrients that are very vital for the body proper functionality. The restricted flow of blood causes damage to your musculoskeletal tissues by depriving it with oxygen.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: Nicotine alters your pain perception

Besides constricting the blood vessels, it is also very important to appreciate that nicotine is also a strong stimulant. Doctor Akoury says that being a strong stimulant, it will affect how your brain reacts to stimuli. Also take note that smoking will trigger your brain to react in such a way that it processes physical stimuli differently and perceives pain more acutely. And this explains why in many instances smokers are more sensitive to pain and reacts more quickly than nonsmokers.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: Smoking decreases effectiveness of pain medication

When we are under pain ordinarily your doctor may prescribe for you some pain relievers medication. These medications are necessary to the specified doses recommended by your physician. Nonetheless when it comes to smokers they are more likely to require slightly higher dosage of painkillers and analgesic to ease pain compared to the nonsmokers. And doctor Akoury I further raising the red flag that with restricted blood flow, your medication cannot work properly in containing the pain inflicted on you either because of cigarette smoking or otherwise.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: Smoking makes you anxious

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, stress is a natural depressant capable of lowers your body’s defenses against diseases and other illnesses. Smoking impacts negatively by preventing your body from healing itself and remember that the weaker your body is, the harder it is for your body to recover from chronic pain.

Even though pain may be quite unpleasant to the body, it also plays a significant role in communicating to your body any wrong thing that may need to be fixed in good time. The tightness, tingling, or stiffness you feel is only trying to pass a message to you that overworked or damaged nerves and muscles need your attention. Persistent pain lasting 3 months or more is considered chronic. Most cases of chronic pain will have unidentifiable causes. Nevertheless, smoking appears to aggravate such debilitating condition. Doctor Akoury is registering that chronic pain is more common among smokers and that is according to a study which has revealed that smokers are more at risk of chronic pain than nonsmokers. Bigger populations of respondents who have reported to have experienced severe pains in the past that have prevented them from going to work or pursuing their hobbies are smokers. They normally complain of severe pain in their neck, shoulders, lower back, elbows and knees. Therefore if you are one of them and wondering on where to start from, wonder no more and schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for a more elaborate treatment plan that will not only five you’re your life back but will also cause you to experience comfort beyond reproach.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: Why would a chronic smoker have difficulty breathing?

Finally doctor Akoury says that chronic smokers often have difficulty breathing because they develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, or COPD. The two diseases that fall under that category are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In emphysema, the alveoli lose the elasticity and break down due to inflammation from the cigarette smoke. Essentially at this point the patient begins to lose their ability to obtain oxygen and dispose of carbon dioxide and other gases. In chronic bronchitis, breathing becomes more difficult due to narrowed airways and increased production of mucus, which obstruct airflow. Both of these diseases are serious and will progressively get worse over time. It therefore means that is something is not done in good time smokers can develop lung cancer and other cancers, which can also obstruct airflow and also lead to difficulty breathing. All these put together brings to board the clear association between chronic pain and smoking which must be dealt with professionally by experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

The association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking: The role of nicotine in pain

 

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Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically

July 21, 2015

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: The best ways of managing pain and depression

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically is a sure way of restoring the comforts of life for absolute happiness and life enjoyment to the fullest.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically can be a tall order for many people owing to the many life demands and challenges. But all the same we must all do something about these two conditions despite those known challenges. That is why we as professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury we are on the front in creating awareness to all people about depression and chronic pain so that people can take timely actions to defeat all the consequences that comes with late responses of these conditions. Therefore it would be very important for all of us to appreciate that depression doesn’t only affects our brains and behavior but it also affects our entire body. Doctor Akoury says that depression has been linked with other health problems like chronic pain and therefore if we have to address depression, then it would mean that we will be dealing with more than one health problem at a time which can be very difficult at times, but all the same it must be done professionally for timely treatment. Besides these it is important to note that depressive disorder or depression is a serious mental illness which can interfere with your daily activities, life and routine by impacting negatively on the quality of your life.

Pain on the other hand can also come in different kinds. The major types of pain we have include acute and chronic pain:

Acute pain – this kind of pain can be intense and short-lived, in which case we call it acute pain. Acute pain may be an indication of an injury however when the injury heals the pain usually goes away.

Chronic pain – this sensation lasts much longer than acute pain. Chronic pain can be mild or intense (severe). Therefore knowing how to deal with these conditions is very important and to get more about the approaches to take, we are going to respond to some of the questions that have been raised so that we can be up to speed with the modalities of dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically as we progress into the discussion.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: Is there a whole-life approach to treating pain and depression?

Like we had mentioned before, chronic pain and depression can affect a person’s entire life. Consequently, an ideal treatment approach addresses all the areas of your life that are affected by chronic pain and depression. Because of the connection between chronic pain and depression, it makes sense that treatments for these conditions overlap.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How do antidepressants help both chronic pain and depression?

Because chronic pain and depression involve the same nerves and neurotransmitters, antidepressants are used to treat both chronic pain and depression. Antidepressants work on the brain to reduce the perception of pain. There is adequate evidence of the effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil and doxepin. However, because of side effects, their use is often limited. Newer antidepressants known as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (Cymbalta, Effexor), on the other hand, seem to work well with fewer side effects.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How can physical activity help both chronic pain and depression?

Many people with chronic pain avoid exercise. But, if you don’t exercise, you get out of shape and have an increased risk of injury and worsened pain. Consult with a physician to design an exercise plan that’s safe and effective for you. Remember that exercise also helps in easing depression by releasing the same kind of brain chemicals that antidepressant medications release.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: Why is taking control important for healing?

Chronic pain affects your ability to live, work, and play the way you’re used to. This can change how you see yourself sometimes for the worse as you feel victimized by the pain and depression. Getting busy and taking control of your life is important. Working with a health care provider who refuses to see you as a helpless victim but sees you as a healthy person with pain is important.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How does talk therapy help chronic pain and depression?

Research clearly shows that, for many people, certain kinds of mental training can help improve chronic pain. Like for instance, cognitive therapy is one approach. In cognitive therapy, a person learns to notice the negative “automatic thoughts” that surround the experience of chronic pain. These thoughts are often distortions of reality. Cognitive therapy can teach a person how to change these thought patterns and improve the experience of pain. Besides that cognitive therapy has also been proven as an effective treatment for depression and can reduce symptoms of anxiety in those with chronic pain.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: What’s the best way to manage chronic pain and depression?

The best way to approach managing chronic pain is to consult regularly with a pain specialist or even your family doctor to create a treatment plan. When chronic pain and depression are combined, the need to work with a doctor is even greater. When you visit your doctor’s office, tell him/her that you want to gain control over your chronic pain and depression. As you develop a plan, keep in mind that the ideal pain management plan will be multidisciplinary, which means it will address all areas of your life that are affected by the pain. Therefore empower yourself by tapping into available resources such as the American Chronic Pain Association, the American Pain Foundation, and the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. It is important that when you’ve started the treatment process, you must stay committed to the treatment plan until you feel in control of your pain and depression and can fully live your life, doing the activities you enjoy.

Finally to defeat this problem, don’t wait for too long but find a cognitive therapist near you with experience in the treatment of chronic pain. If you are in doubt then you can locate one by contacting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center or alternatively you could settle for any of the cognitive therapists’ professional groups mentioned above.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: The best ways of managing pain and depression

 

 

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Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain

July 21, 2015

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain: What is chronic pain?

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain is something that needs to be done continuously for stability in life and health

Chronic pain can be described as any pain that lasts much longer than would be expected from the original problem or injury. Up on registering chronic pain in the body, the body is likely to respond in various ways. There are certain facts that we need to understand clearly and we are going to be relying on the expert’s opinions from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. And to start us off doctor Akoury says that chronic pain may be characterized by abnormalities in brain hormone, low energy, mood disorders, muscle pain, and impaired mental and physical performance. Chronic pain worsens as neurochemical changes in your body increase your sensitivity to pain and at this point you begin to have pain in other parts of your body that do not normally hurt. Ordinarily nobody would want to be subjected to any kind of pain and that is going to be our focus under the topic of “addressing complications of depression and chronic pain.” So many questions have been raised by many of you and doctor Akoury is going to respond to them as we progress into the discussion. In the meantime you may want to schedule for an appointment with the expert (doctor Akoury) today for a one on one professional advice.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: What happens with chronic pain and depression?

This is a worthy concern and for sure when you are struggling with both chronic pain and depression, you’ll definitely have plenty of company. It will interest you to note that depression is one of the most common psychological issues facing people who are suffering from chronic pain. This problem if not addressed timely can really complicates the patient’s conditions and treatment. The most worrying thing is that prevalence of these problems is escalating on a daily basis. Like for instance according to the American Pain Foundation, they have registered that about 32 million people in the U.S. alone have had pain lasting longer than one year. And about one quarter to more than half of all the population that complain to their doctors registering depression. And on average up to 65% of those depressed individuals are also complaining of pain and yet again those people whose pain limits their independence are especially likely to get depressed. These statistics are a reflection of how depression and pain are a serious threat globally. It has now become an epidemic that must be addressed from all quarters if we want to enjoy comfort in life says doctor Akoury.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: Is there a cycle of depression and pain?

One would not be punished for saying that pain is a trigger of depression. In fact it has been established from various studies that pain can provoke an emotional response in everyone. Like for instance if you struggling with some pain, you may also have high anxiety, irritability, and agitation. These are very normal accompaniment feelings when you’re hurting. Even though this is so, the good news about all this process or relations is that under normal circumstances, as pain subsides, so does the stressful response. However with chronic pain, you’re likely to constantly feel tense and stressed. Nonetheless with time, the constant stress can result in different emotional problems associated with depression. Doctor Akoury says that if you are suffering from these chronic pains and depression then you are likely to experience some of the problems: Altered mood, work issues, fatigue, physical deconditioning, financial concerns, chronic anxiety, weigh gain or weight loss, anger, social sleep disturbances, isolation, legal issues, confused thinking, family stress, reduced sexual activities, fear of injury, decreased self-esteem and irritability.

Addressing complications of depression and chronic pain: Why is there an overlap between depression and chronic pain?

Scientifically some of the overlap between depression and chronic pain can be explained. It has been established scientifically that depression and chronic pain have a common denominator and that is, they both share some of the same neurotransmitters brain chemicals that act as messengers traveling between nerves. Depression and chronic pain also share some of the same nerve pathways.

Besides that it is important to note that the impact of chronic pain on an individual’s life can also contribute to depression. In fact chronic pain can exact pressure and force you to struggle with tremendous losses, such as the loss of exercise, sleep, social network, relationships, sexual relationships, even a job and income. These losses can make you feel depressed and bring a total change in your life and even to that of your loved ones. With this depression will then magnify the pain and reduces your coping skills. It therefore means that when you used to exercise and be active when you felt stressed, with chronic pain you can no longer deal with stress in this manner.

Experts while carrying out research, they compared people with chronic pain and depression to those who only suffer chronic pain. It was established from that research that those who suffer with both depression and chronic pain report: more intense pain, less control of their lives and more unhealthy coping strategies. Therefore since chronic pain and depression are so intertwined, they are often treated together. In fact, some medications can improve both chronic pain and depression. That is why you need to seek for a more professional input if any of these discussions suits your situation. You may be wondering on where to begin, we are here to help you do the right thing and with the right people. Remember that Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This is what doctor Akoury intends to achieve if only you can schedule for an appointment with her today.

Addressing complications of Depression and Chronic Pain: What is chronic pain?

 

 

 

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Gluten Free Diet for Fibromyalgia

March 29, 2015

Gluten Free Diet is good Fibromyalgia patients

Gluten free dietFibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread muscle pain, joint stiffness, and fatigue. The condition is chronic but pain comes and goes and moves about the body. The cause of this disorder is unknown and therefore it is often misdiagnosed or unrecognized and is most of the times complicated by anxiety and mood disorders. this is a common disorder that according to the American College of Rheumatology diagnosis criteria affects about 3-5% of women, most of whom are between ages 20 and 50, but only 0.5- 1.6% of men. This disease is more common in adults than in children but it affects women more than men.

What is gluten

Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, Kamut and triticale. Just as any other foods there are people who are allergic or tolerant to gluten. It is suggested that for these people removing gluten from their diets can help them as it may lead to improved skin, including fewer problems with breakouts, eczema and psoriasis; fewer migraines; and a lessening of vague, general symptoms of malady. Gluten has been linked to fibromyalgia and now it is suggested that those who are suffering from fibromyalgia can benefit from a gluten free diet.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain sleep disturbance and fatigue combined with a general increase in medical symptoms such as problems of memory and often psychological distress. The pharmacological treatment of Fibromyalgia does not result in full healing but only offers partial relief. Fibromyalgia is mostly associated with depression and irritable bowel syndrome. On the other hand, Celiac disease is a frequent disease, affecting about 1 % of the population that can be diagnosed at all ages under different clinical settings. The classic presentation of Celiac disease is chronic diarrhea, positive anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG), and villous atrophy with intraepithelial lymphocytosis observed by duodenal biopsy. Celiac disease often does not conform to the classical clinical description, and up to 50 % of patients with adult Celiac disease lack prominent gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical manifestations of Celiac disease include muscle and osteoarticular pain, fatigue, and neurological and psychological symptoms.

Research report on gluten-free diet

In a research that was aimed to describe selected patients with fibromyalgia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, duodenal intraepithelial lymphocytosis, and clinical response to gluten-free diet, in order to raise the hypothesis that non-celiac gluten sensitivity could be a treatable cause of fibromyalgia it was found that remarkable clinical improvement can be achieved with a gluten-free diet in patients with fibromyalgia.

This study involved a trial of a strict gluten-free diet that was conducted with the help and training of the Celiac Disease Patients Association of Madrid. In addition, iron, vitamin D, and multivitamins supplements with oligoelements were prescribed to patients on this study. A lactose-free diet was also recommended when lactose intolerance was suspected on clinical grounds or demonstrated by a breath hydrogen test after lactose administration. Clinical response was defined as the achievement of at least one of the following scenarios: remission of fibromyalgia pain criteria, return to work, return to normal life as judged by the patient, or opioid discontinuation.

For this study, the mean follow-up period for the gluten-free diet was 16.4 months .Eight patients were also on a lactose-free diet. For five of these eight patients, a lactose-free diet had been attempted before the gluten-free diet, resulting in partial relief of the gastrointestinal symptoms but no improvement in the fibromyalgia symptoms. For three patients, a lactose-free diet was started concurrently with the gluten-free diet. The level of widespread chronic pain improved dramatically for all patients; for 15 patients, chronic widespread pain was no longer present, indicating remission of fibromyalgia. Fifteen patients returned to work or normal life after good improvements with the gluten free diet. In three patients who had been previously treated in pain units with opioids, these drugs were discontinued. Fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, migraine, and depression also improved together with pain. The clinical improvement for some patients began just a few months after beginning the gluten free diet therapy this was striking and showed how effective the gluten free diet therapy is beneficial to those suffering from fibromyalgia. For others the improvement was rather slow and gradual and took many months of follow up. It was also seen that some patients’ conditioned worsened when they took gluten but this was save when they were put on strict-gluten free diet.

Gluten Free dietIn this research it was observed that the reduction in the level of pain was accompanied by improvements in asthenia and gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. This shows that a common underlying cause of fibromyalgia is related to gluten.

For this research, the clinical response definition was decided upon after the initial observations of impressive improvement in some patients after starting the gluten-free diet. This was the chosen outcome measure; the remission of fibromyalgia or return to normal life, rather than changes reflected by questionnaires. This is one of the treatments that have shown the highest degree of improvement in treatment of fibromyalgia. Most of the patients that were used for this research were under severe distress and disability and were unable to cope normally with daily activities or on sick leave, despite having been treated with many different regimens for years. This fact endorses the fact that gluten-free diet can help patients suffering from chronic pain as a result of fibromyalgia.

Chronic pain is a serious symptom of many diseases. Very many people who have bee to opioid use as a result of chronic pain sometimes end up being addicted to them. There is need to come up with safer alternatives to pain management. This is why here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing the best integrative approaches to treatment of diseases. Visit as at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) will be of help.

Gluten Free Diet for Fibromyalgia

 

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