Cannabis CBD Patch For Nerve Pain Relief Something For You

 Today's post from ireadculture.com (see link below) offers an alternative to smoked, or inhaled cannabis for nerve pain relief. A new product in transdermal patch form has arrived, which distributes CBD extract through the body and avoids many of the things that put people off using cannabis as a pain killer (you don't get high with CBD folks). This could be a major breakthrough for neuropathy patients. You may already have seen CBD oil products on your health shop shelves, or advertised on internet (depending on where you live in the world and what the attitude there is) but if you want to take the step towards trying cannabis to control your symptoms, what better way is there than a patch on the skin! Definitely worth a read.

New CBD Patches Combat Nerve Pain and Fibromyalgia
by Jacob Cannon | November 4, 2016

Although cannabis is still considered to have no medical use by the Drug Enforcement Administration, pharmaceutical companies continue to create medications that prove its efficacy against countless ailments. Cannabis Science, Inc. has developed two new pain relief patches that are specifically for patients with Diabetic Neuropathy nerve pain and Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition in which the individual experiences chronic widespread pain and a higher, more painful response to pressure. Neuropathy damages or spreads disease to nerves and can have various painful effects depending on which nerves are affected. Now patients facing either of these ailments might find relief with the transdermal CBD patches created by Cannabis Science.

The transdermal pads are made with high potency cannabinoid (CBD) extract. The extract is released in a controlled fashion, which enters into the bloodstream through a medicated adhesive patch that is put on the skin. The CBD extract enters through the skin and into the central nervous system, which is how patients receive pain relief.

The Cannabis Science CEO, Raymond C. Dabney, confirmed that these developments are just the beginning for his company, according to www.biospace.com. “The development of these two new pharmaceutical medicinal applications are just the tip of the iceberg for what we see as the future of Cannabis Science,” Dabney said. “While we strive to increase our land capacity for growth and facilities to produce our own product to supply our scientists with proprietary materials to make these formulations, we are so busy researching more potential needs for cannabis-related medical applications and developing the methods for delivery of these medications.”

CBD is notorious for being one of the active ingredients in cannabis that leads to various healing properties from helping to reduce seizures to acting as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. One of its most attractive properties to many is that it does not have any psychoactive properties. As more states vote soon on allowing medical cannabis programs in their state, Cannabis Science only sees greater opportunity to help more patients.

“As more states nationwide legislate for the legalization of cannabis and cannabis derived medications, we here at Cannabis Science are focused on developing pharmaceutical formulations and applications to supply the huge growing demand expected over the coming few years,” Dabney said.

http://ireadculture.com/new-cbd-patches-combat-nerve-pain-fibromyalgia/

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Nerve Pain Something For You

Today's post from consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/ (see link below) concerns cognitive behavioural therapy and its use as another tool in the box to deal with chronic pain. It's been around for a long time and is often met with skepticism by patients who feel they first need to 'believe' in this sort of therapy and they just don't, or won't! These days, it's being used as part of a pain management therapy  and once again, is regaining popularity due to the current fear of opioids. Many patients feel that it's just yet another way for doctors to say 'learn to live with it' because they need to train their mind to see pain differently. However, there's nothing wrong with that and we all know that we can magnify our pain according to what's going on in the rest of our lives. They call it catastrophising but if CBT can help us reduce the psychological effects of pain and maybe now and then, see it for what it is and how our environment is making it worse, not the neuropathy itself, then we're already creating strategies to better deal with it. It's worth having a talk with your doctor about CBT but you need to approach it with an open mind and find a therapist who doesn't underestimate the pain you live with on a daily basis.

CBT for Pain Management and Living with a New Device  
Scientific evidence shows CBT an appropriate therapy for managing pain  
Jan. 24, 2017

 
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often the treatment of choice for behavioral issues, from depression to anxiety to insomnia. At Cleveland Clinic, CBT also is often an integral component of a care plan for patients suffering with chronic pain.

CBT is defined as short-term, goal oriented psychotherapy that seeks to alter patterns of thinking and behavior to change the way patients perceive and manage their pain.

The American Psychological Association cites multiple clinical studies showing CBT to be among the most effective treatments for improving management of chronic pain across the spectrum of pain conditions. CBT recognizes that each person is unique, and that their pain and its consequences are unique to them.

Patients of the Cleveland Clinic Department of Pain Management are often referred to pain psychologist Jill Mushkat Conomy, PhD, who screens patients before a decision is made to move forward with invasive medical interventions. She often uses CBT to help patients develop skills for managing the impact of pain on their life and to help them to live with an implant, including a neuromodulation device (e.g., spinal cord stimulator) or intrathecal pump/medication delivery system.

“I see patients to ensure that indications for the interventional pain procedure, including indwelling devices, are understood by the patient, and that there are no psychological factors that would preclude success for the patient,” she explains. The evaluation fulfills insurance requirements for these elective procedures. Once the evaluation is completed, it may lead to a series of appointments for CBT both pre- and post-procedure.

Doctors also refer patients to Dr. Mushkat Conomy for a prescreening if a patient is on, or being considered for, long-term opioid management for a chronic pain condition. “What I can do as a psychologist is point out areas of concern and coordinate treatment with the physicians,” she says. “Management of these patients is very much a team approach. It is also important to consider the impact that medications, opioid or otherwise, may have on an individual’s memory, behavior and cognitive function.

Making an assessment

Dr. Mushkat Conomy uses standardized psychological testing in conjunction with a clinical interview to assess the impact of the pain diagnosis on the life of the individual. Using a BioPsychoSocial model, which reflects the interaction of pain on biochemical, psychological, cognitive, and socioeconomic aspects of a person’s life, she is able to assess the overall impact of pain. This includes its impact on the patient’s family and friends, caregivers, coworkers and employers.

As she reviews these factors, she will work with the patient to develop skills for managing the challenges of living with pain. “CBT helps people to reframe the way they think about their pain and to learn how to manage their pain on a day to day basis,” she says. “Instead of the ‘catastrophe’ that chronic pain may be, individuals begin to see that it is a challenge in life that they can learn to cope with in a way that allows them to be in control of their life.”

She notes that stress, depression, weight gain, inactivity, and physical injuries can all contribute to disability associated with chronic pain. When a psychological issue is identified, Dr. Mushkat Conomy may schedule several CBT sessions with the patient to help them acquire the skills to deal with the difficulties they experience.

https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/2017/01/cbt-pain-management-living-new-device/

Reiki Something For Neuropathy

Given that it's important to help reduce pain in any way possible if you have neuropathy, today's fourth post from 4therapy.com (see link below), looks at Reiki as a means of positively influencing the body and brain, so that pain is lessened. If you only achieve relaxation from a reiki session, you'll have gained quite a lot. Your muscles will be less likely to spasm due to pain and the impact of the pain may be reduced by relieving the associated stress.

Relaxing with Reiki: An Effective Way to Treat Pain and Depression

If traditional methods of relief for your pain or depression treatment aren’t working, you may want to try Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese form of body work that uses your body’s energy to help alleviate symptoms.

Using their hands, Reiki practitioners identify places in your body where energy is blocked or not flowing properly. Through light touch, practitioners transfer energy to remove blockages so that your body can properly heal.

“It’s a very subtle transfer of vibration through the practitioner to the patient to change a person’s energy biofield,” said Cheryl Wichner, a Reiki master at Sierra Tucson, a residential treatment center in Arizona.

Reiki has been shown to effectively alleviate symptoms associated with depression, pain and other disorders. Reiki has been shown to:

• Decrease anxiety

• Reduce symptoms of panic

• Lessen lower back pain

• Reduce anger and fear

• Decrease stress

• Boost the immune system

• Raise mood function

• Enhance movement

• Improve blood pressure

Reiki Treatment

During a session of Reiki, you will likely feel warmth or coolness, a change in emotions or even jolts of electricity as your energy shifts. You are also likely to fall into a state of deep relaxation, which can allow the body to heal, Wichner said.

Sessions of Reiki typically last about 50 minutes. Patients lay on a massage table, either fully clothed or under a blanket. Practitioners use light touch to transmit energy, working from the face down the front of the body. If you are someone who does not typically like to be touched, Reiki may not be the best treatment for you.

Each person responds differently to Reiki treatment, according to Wichner. Many people feel worse in the first 24 hours after treatment because it triggers healing and emotions that can be very powerful. Patients may even respond with twitches and jerks if they are releasing trauma. Most people experience immediate relaxation and pain reduction, which is good for treating any disorder.

If you find Reiki to be effective for alleviating your symptoms, you can undergo as many treatments as you like. If you would rather, you can also learn to do the treatment on yourself.

Reiki practitioners are trained in three levels of Reiki so that they become attuned to a body’s energy and learn how to channel energy to others. Practitioners learn to channel energy to themselves, other people, plants and animals. They even receive training in performing Reiki at a distance, without the patient being physically present. At the third level of training, practitioners become Reiki masters, which allows them to teach others in the art of Reiki.

Reiki does not interfere with any other treatments or medication, and is non-invasive. To find out if Reiki will work for you, find a Reiki master who practices on their own or at a treatment center that specializes in such disorders as depression and pain.

http://www.4therapy.com/life-topics/anxiety-phobias/relaxing-reiki-effective-way-treat-pain-and-depression-2975