[Bob_D]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by Bob_D on Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:23 pm

Stretching Exercises for Pain Relief

Stretch before and after walking (or other exercise), after sitting awhile, or in other words, as often as you can.

1. Align your back by standing up, pushing hard against the crutches, and bend and relax your knees and let your body hang so your weight pulls and straightens your spine. Roll your hips around, front to back and side to side. If this is too difficult, try kneeling on padded chair so lower legs are supported, then spread out the crutches near the floor so you can push up and roll hips around, front to back and side to side.
2. Squat down, grab the edge of a heavy or immovable table, lean back, and stretch back
3. Get down on all fours and roll your hips around and arch your back
4. Lie down on your back on a bed or thick foam. Bend one knee and pull on the top of lower leg just below the knee with both hands towards your head while leaving the other leg flat on the bed and pushing that heel away from you and pointing your toes toward your head. Roll from side to side if you can. Reverse legs and do it again.
5. Aqua-cize in a hot tub or warm pool, stretching and moving with lower gravity.

[Bob_D]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by Bob_D on Thu Jul 07, 2016 7:30 pm

Endorphins: The Natural Pain Killer Produced By Your Body

Endorphins are hormones that affect receptors in the brain, often reducing the sensation of pain or stress and inhibiting the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Endorphins can be naturally produced by physical activity and activities that create pleasure or a sense of satisfaction among few other things. Some examples include:

• Exercise - activity that requires increased exertion will trigger the greatest endorphin response (vigorous movement, cardio­vas­cu­lar activity, working up a sweat, etc.; also just laughter, and of course sex)
• Doing things you like to do, something enjoyable or what makes you happy
• Chili peppers - capsaicin, which puts the burn in chilies,
• Meditation or controlled-breathing exercises - Tai chi, Pilates, and yoga .
• Alcohol - light to moderate drinking stimulates endorphins, but heavy drinking doesn't
• Bodywork - both acupuncture and massage therapy
• Ultraviolet light - tanning beds achieve something of a "runner's high," but do not overuse them.

In addition to endorphins, serotonin created by sunshine, and getting outdoors in 'nature' on a regular basis, can promote mental, physical, and emotional well being. It helps to get away from the cancer subject and get your mind off it for awhile by sharing an activity with someone that does not center around being sick.

[Anm8]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by Anm8 on Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:25 pm

Thanks! This was very helpful to me. I started aquatherapy and find that I am much improved mobility-wise, but I do have an increase in pain, so I plan to work at doing more things to alleviate it. The back stretch I am currently using goes like this: I stand at an armrest end of the couch, rest my upper body along the back, maintain a curve along my lumbar area and pull along the fabric of the couch. This helps me stretch farther and get my back to a straighter alignment.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by Nancy Shamanna on Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:54 am

Tom Brokaw, a famous U.S. journalist, has had multiple myeloma for about six years now. His book, 'A Lucky Life Interrupted', contained good descriptions of what it is like to be diagnosed with bone damage and pain. In this recent New York Post article, Brokaw discusses medical marijuana and how he is using it to control incurable pain caused by the myeloma damaging his bones.

[albertlannon]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by albertlannon on Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:38 pm

I had a doctor who years ago prescribed 800 mg. ibuprofen three times a day, for "significant" arthritis pain. That ended up giving me acid reflux that literally almost killed me choking on a hamburger. So now I'm on a pill for that for life.

Then I discovered a topical NSAID, diclofenac sodium. It comes generically in gel (1%) or drops (1.5%) and use of them keep my bone pain manageable. When I sneezed and broke two ribs and the myeloma was diagnosed almost two years ago, I was put on tramadol and hated the zombification aspect. I weaned myself off the opioid and used more diclofenac, not just on the arthritis areas (which may well be aggravated by the myeloma), such as the neck, hips, lower back, hands, but on the more clearly myeloma-affected areas, like my rib cage.

As I said, it keeps it manageable. I still do things that aggravate and cause pain, but am doing my best to avoid more drugs. At 81, on myeloma treatment for life, and with all the treatment side effects, exercises are not really an option, but the diclofenac is doing the job with no side effects that I can discern.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Pain management for bone pain

by Nancy Shamanna on Tue Apr 02, 2019 9:05 am

Hello Albert,

I also use Voltaren gel (2.32% diclofenac diethyl amine) sometimes for aches and pains, especially in my hands. There are instructions as to how much to use on the container. I also had a cortisone injection into one thumb almost two years ago for pain, and that worked really well.

Good luck with managing pain!