Self-treatment other than exercises

We all have our own habits or preferences for treating troublesome conditions. It can be anything from flatulence, itching, mild allergies or various other ailments that life brings with it. This is also the case with pain from different places. If you do what you usually do and with which you have good experience, it usually helps. Here are some methods that people use as self-treatment.

Wait and see. Many pains are mild and transient if you just take it easy or adjust your activity for a week. This is probably the most used among people. The effect on pain and function of this approach is largely as good as if you go to a therapist. This applies, for example, to acute back or neck problems, ankle sprains or pain in the front of the knees.

General physical activity. As mentioned in another article, general physical activity is a good treatment for many ailments from the musculoskeletal system. This applies to the back and neck, but many also experience good effects in other body regions. In addition, most people get a good sense of mastery and a good feeling in body and mind from being physically active.

Heat. Sore muscles like heat. It gives a relaxing feeling to take a hot shower or place a hot water bottle or heating bag on an aching area. The effect is usually short-lived.

Cold. Cooling can be used as part of first aid treatment for sprains, strains and the like. The ice numbs the nerves and stops the swelling to some extent. Cooling can reduce pain even in conditions that have lasted longer. Cooling is largely harmless, but use a thin garment or towel between the body and the ice pack and limit the time to 5 minutes.

Massage. Muscles that are sore often feel stiff and have painful areas in them. This can be improved by massage and you may feel softer and warmer for a while afterwards. There are many ointments such as Tiger balm, cold cream etc. that you can massage in. Massage can make it easier to move normally or exercise. If you do not do physical activity in addition, the effect is short-lived.

Support. Painful joints or muscles can benefit from external support (orthosis) or tape. This stabilizes and transfers the load to other parts of the area. An ankle support in the period after an ankle sprain or a knee support when you have to put weight on a painful knee can help being active. Support of the hand or wrist is often useful in connection with tendinitis or osteoarthritis. Supports for the back comes in many forms and can feel comfortable during short-term use. Such supports are rarely useful over a long period of time.

Non-prescription medicines. If there is localized pain in an area, you often get the best pain relief from activity adaptation or one of the other methods mentioned here. If the pain disturbs sleep at night or is so strong that you cannot ignore it, you can use over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol or ibumetin. Most people can tolerate taking such tablets now and then, but with regular use some side effects may be troublesome in themselves. It is therefore important to limit its use. An alternative is to use a gel that is applied locally where the pain is.

Mental techniques. Pain is experienced in the brain. So do other sensory impressions. It's kind of a battle of what's going to appear in your consciousness. When you are active, the pain is usually suppressed by other types of impulses and experienced as weaker. The same is true if you concentrate on factors inside or outside your body, such as breathing, good thoughts, music or sounds from nature. If you are suffering from pain, mental techniques like this can significantly reduce the pain experience.