What To Do About Your Pain

By Aneesh Singla, MD

National Spine & Pain Centers

. http://www.treatingpain.com

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What To Do About Your Pain

When you find yourself with pain that just won't go away, don't just suffer through it in silence hoping it'll go away on its own. Turn the word around (NIAP) and use it as an easy reminder to help you build resilience and to grow from the painful experience. By doing so, you turn your pain from a negative into a positive.

Here are four simple steps that we can use to help us reverse the pain
N Define the negative experience by identifying the source of the pain.
I Intervene and address the source of the pain.
A Assess the response.
P Attain a positive result.

Let's walk through the steps of reversing the pain of an ankle sprain

N The negative is the pain that results from a sprained ankle. In this example, discovering the cause of the pain is relatively easy, but in other cases, the cause of the pain may not be as apparent. So to fully understand the negative starting point, you may need to visit a doctor for a complete diagnosis.

I This is the action step. Do something that addresses the cause of the pain. Intervene and ice the ankle to decrease swelling and inflammation. Consider R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and anti-inflammatories. Again, your doctor can help you understand the best course of intervention.

A Take a step back and assess the results of your intervention. Are you improving? If so, continue with your treatment plan. If not, you may need to see a sports medicine or orthopedic physician for additional options. Or you might need physical therapy.

P The positive result. Once your ankle is healed and you're back to your normal activities, take time to reflect on what the pain has taught you. Have you learned more about your body's limitations? Maybe you learned ways to prevent future sprains like exercises to strengthen your ankle or adjusting your stride.

There are no easy answers or quick fixes, but if you try to apply this model the next time you struggle with pain, it'll help you become better at processing, recovering from and growing from that painful experience.

Pain is a transformative process that we encounter as we go down our chosen path in life. When the pain alarm is sounding, take the time to listen to that sometimes shrill, unpleasant or shocking sensation. You'll be glad you did.