Reducing Pain

ABSTRACT

Pain is a biologically useful and highly motivating, though generally unwanted type of sensation. It can be reduced through the power of belief and faith to some extent. In this paper, we will learn what pain is, what causes that sensation of pain in our bodies, why it happens and how to manage it in cases where it becomes too much to bear. Pain has an immense impact on the general well being of an individual or the society as a whole. We will look at the various methods of relieving pain in our bodies, some which may be scientific and others which may be unorthodox in the views of many in our society. Pain should not be feared but embraced. It is through fear that a man can truly appreciate the world before him. It is a motivator, and a danger mechanism which acts as an alarm to alert of an impending inadequacy in the human body.

Introduction

Pain is a feeling that brings discomfort to the human body. It can be caused by physical elements such as the tearing or damaging of the skin, the breakage of bones, the lodging of objects or projectiles in one’s body. It arises from all forms of physical contact with the body that are uncomfortable and usually make the body feel out of place. Mentally and emotionally, pain can be caused by a dispute in a relationship be it marital, or platonic. Pain can also result from an issue which cannot be solved without much mental energy, which can irritate and disturb a person’s inner peace thus bringing pain.

Pain is a human condition which acts as a safety feature so that we do not injure or harm ourselves further than we already have (Stephen, Renan, & Michael, 2011, p.1350). In some cases, it helps us prevent harm at all to our bodies as well as imprint a memory which will ensure that in the future, we do not repeat that which harms us, and we do not indulge in those activities which will end up in this discomfort. Pain will subside once the cause has been dealt with, but not right away. It gradually fades away, but sometimes it stays even long after the issue has been resolved. Pain is uncontrollable sometimes and one can have it without seeing the reason bringing it about.

For one to have pain, it means that something in the body system is wrong. This is what prompts many to visit a medical practitioner. Pain can cause discomfort which will disrupt a person’s ability to carry out daily functions necessary for his or her livelihood. Pain needs to be dealt with as soon as it arises, and avoided if the cause of it is a pre conceived activity or act (Lance, Sophie, 2010, p.142). There are three classes of pain (Pain Management, 2010, para. 1).

Nociceptive pain: This type of pain may be caused by stimulation of peripheral nerve fibers that respond only to stimuli approaching or exceeding harmful intensity (nociceptors), and may be classified according to the mode of noxious stimulation; the most common categories being “thermal” (heat or cold), “mechanical” (crushing, tearing, etc.) and “chemical” (iodine in a cut, chili powder in the eyes) (Crawford, Armstrong, Boardman, & Coulthard, 2010, p.35)

Inflammatory pain: This type of pain is associated with tissue damage and the infiltration of immune cells.

Pathological pain: This is a disease state caused by damage to the nervous system (neuropathic pain, see hereunder) or by its abnormal function (dysfunctional pain, like in fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, tension type headache, etc.) (Pain Management, 2010, para. 1).

Pain is inevitable in our day to day life. It is woven in our lives and cannot be evaded, or ignored. It is what makes us feel like living beings, creatures who have a purpose, a reason. Without pain, the human race and the entire life population of this dear planet we call our own, would otherwise be obsolete, nonexistent and extinct. Pain is like a force of nature, which Mother Nature uses to wean out the weak from the strong in the life cycle. So the question still begs, can pain be reduced through belief and faith?

There have been different and divergent views on the subject matter with different sides having different view. Some would argue that it is impossible to alleviate pain through the simple belief that it is not there or simply having faith that it will reduce or even having faith that it is not there, that what they are experiencing is nothing but a trick being played on them by their minds (Brian, Colleen, Sandra, & Kenneth, 2010, p.1002). Alas, pain is real and some of it can be reduced through faith and belief.

First of all, there are monasteries which have monks and priests who are believed to have the power to train the human brain to have control over the body it drives. This control will in turn lead to full power over pain (Russell, 1997, p.357). One has to be trained to withstand harsh conditions and realities to the body, so that they can learn how to separate the mind from the body. They believe that if the mind is separated from the body, one cannot feel the pain that the body is enduring and as such, one can maintain this level of disconnection with the body until it heals and recovers fully. The mind simply wonders off into a somewhat different “reality” if you will, enabling it detach from the body until such pain that has resulted in the detachment is dealt with.

For the mind to be trained on this, one has to undergo a series of painful tasks which cannot even begin to be conceived by the mind. They can cause huge trauma both physically and psychologically (Christine, Anna, Lindsay, & McMurtry, 2009. p.80). Tasks such as walking on bare broken glass, red hot coal burning the soles of one’s feet, and being battered by heavy objects to the abdomen legs and arms to force your mind to create a ‘bubble’ if you will, where it detaches from the body. This brings about a state where the brain receives signals from the body, but chooses not to interpret them as signals reflecting pain and trauma.

Another way of reducing pain is through the use of placebos. These are simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatments for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient (Jinseok, Younghoon, Youngsoo & Woonyi, 2009, p.353). Sometimes patients given a placebo treatment will have an improvement in a medical condition, and this is commonly known as the placebo effect. It can also be a substance or procedure that is objectively without specific activity for the condition being treated. People use placebos all the time without even realizing it. They think that they are actually getting treated for some discomfort or pain and believe that the medicine (placebos) are taking effect in their bodies and making a difference. They are actually taking harmless pills or undergoing procedures that have no medical effect whatsoever to their bodies. They simply believe this miraculous cure not knowing that their bodies are actually healing themselves and dealing with the pain themselves. They believe in the “medicine” and have faith that it will cure them, while all along, it is their own mental and psychological state that is contributing to their well being and relief from pain.

Placebos have been used countless times by medics in cases where they feel that the patient is simply being fussy about an issue or an ailment that is all in the patient’s mind. One simply believes that the “medicine” is taking effect, while this is not the case. They believe in an alternative that is fictional (John, & Mario, 2011, p.94). The fact of the matter is that, through faith and belief that something is alleviating their pain, they actually are able to reduce the pain they are undergoing, thus one can reduce pain by simple belief and faith.

Another way is by use of hypnosis. Hypnosis is “a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination.” (Alison & Leonard, 2011, p.1022) It is a mental state (according to “state theory”) or imaginative role-enactment (according to “non-state theory”). It is usually done by a process called hypnosis, which commonly comprises of long sets of instructions. Hypnotic suggestions may be delivered by a hypnotist in the presence of the subject, or may be self-administered (“self-suggestion” or “autosuggestion”). The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as “hypnotherapy”, while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as “stage hypnosis”(Christine, Anna, Lindsay, & McMurtry, 2009. p.82).

One can use hypnosis and get rid of pain. You need to have supervision or simply conduct hypnosis on yourself. The latter needs a considerable amount of technique, thus you would be better off having a professional do it.

When you become hypnotized, you enter a different mind from the one you had previously. You can reduce pain using this technique. You simply have a session and ask the hypnotist to change your emotions, feelings, perceptions, or attitudes towards a certain aspect in your life. If you have a chronic pain which can never seem to subside through the use of conventional medicine or treatments, then you can try hypnosis. It puts you ‘the patient’ in a trance state, where the hypnotist asks you to elaborate the pain which you feel, then alters the way the mind perceives that pain. After one recovers from the trance state, one believes that they have been cured or at least feel some form of relief after the session. They believe that the pain has reduced. Their faith and belief is slightly altered and thus it becomes possible to imagine that the pain has reduced or has been eliminated. So hypnosis can help reduce or eliminate pain.

Yoga can be used as another tool of reducing pain. It involves one following the teachings of discipline both physical and mental (Paul, Edzar, Rohini, & Myeong Soo, 2011, p.5). It originated from India. It strives to bring one to a state of harmony with oneself.

The goals of yoga are varied and range from improving health to achieving moksha (liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death). As yoga is used for various ideologies, one would be using it in reducing suffering ergo pain (Alison & Leonard, 2011, p.1023) .

A person needs to realize that healing is a process. You need to come to terms with the fact that a body in pain will heal if treated the right way. So one needs simply to bear with the pain for a while, and take the necessary steps to heal and replenish the system, so as to rid it of the pain. No one wants pain or even yearn for it and for one to feel that they need pain is a sign that a mental or psychological issue is disturbing him or her. Pain is inevitable so one has to train the body to adjust to it and train the mind. This will reduce the discomfort.

One needs to relax and exercise. Yoga helps one relax and achieve a level of peace in the mind. This peace translates to feeling like you are rejuvenated; hence one believes that the body has reduced levels of stress and pain. You meditate and focus on peace and calm. The mind registers the calm in the system and translates this as meaning that the body has undergone a slight transformation and has reduction in the pain levels. One believes that they are feeling much better than before they did before.

Conclusion

Pain is a part of the natural human cycle. It can be managed. There are ways of doing this, be they conventional or unorthodox. The results are achieved in the end. Pain can be reduced by simple belief and faith, it depends on the perception one decides to employ.

References

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