Pain Patches for Effective Back Pain Relief
There are a variety of pain patches available both with a prescription and without. Anyone suffering from debilitating back pain wants to know which ones, if any, work? They do to varying degrees. The best thing to do is work with your doctor to come up with a regimen that works for you.
The patches can and should be combined with other types of pain relief. Using a patch alone can sometimes mask other symptoms that indicate you have a different source of pain. This article covers the types of products that are available so that you can select one or more to try. Remember to consult with your doctor.
While over-the-counter patches can be used freely, you still want to be sure that you are not masking another type of problem and you also want to be sure that, even if you use one with natural ingredients, it will not interfere with any other medications that you may be taken.
Note that while most pain sufferers have heard of Fentanyl patches, these are typically reserved for post-surgical recovery. They are administered by a doctor and dosages are monitored carefully. This is a narcotic patch that releases the medication in the skin to provide relief.
This medication can be extremely addictive and although some doctors might prescribe these products for their back patients at times, they should only be used under that doctor’s supervision and for short periods.
What Types of Pain Patches Are Available?
The types of products that you can find over the counter include those made with all-natural ingredients as well as medications. Common products include lidocaine and menthol patches. All-natural products include those that are made with capsaicin as well as those infused with cannabis.
Most over-the-counter pain relief patches are extremely effective at relieving discomfort. You have to try several to see which works for you. The most important part of their effectiveness is that they can relieve pain instantly. Any pain relievers that you take orally take anywhere from 20 minutes to half an hour to start working.
Another benefit is that they do not have side effects. Some people have sensitive skin, however. You want to be careful that you do not have any type of allergic reaction to the patch.
Lidocaine tends to be the most effective because it works to immediately numb the pain away. Once you apply the product to your back where it hurts you will feel it go to work. This can give you the benefit of not having to resort to taking any type of medication.
It can be obtained with a prescription in a stronger formulation than that which is available OTC. These medications often contain about 5 percent pure Lidocaine in them. Ask your doctor for more information if your pain is particularly severe. It should be noted that some insurance companies will not cover the cost of these patches.
Here is one other reason that pain relief patches are in demand. Even over-the-counter acetaminophen products have the potential for causing more harm than good. This only happens after long-term use, but the effects can include liver damage, nausea, and rashes. They can even contribute to stomach ulcers. These problems are avoided with any type of pain patch, even medicated ones. This is according to painstopclinics.com/over-the-counter-back-pain-relief-patch-products.
Research is showing that any product with capsaicin in it work to alter the body’s perception of pain. This is the ingredient that makes a hot chili pepper hot. When the body reacts to the ingredients in it, it works to cool the body off by desensitizing the reaction to pain. It is this reaction to the capsaicin that works to alter the sensation of back pain. Drug manufacturers are looking at new ways to incorporate this into medications.
One pain patch called Qutenza contains 8 percent of the capsaicin in it. While it is being marketed to patients suffering from shingles, it just shows that the ingredient is effective at relieving pain externally. See more at www.acorda.com/products/products/qutenza.
Menthol pain patches are among the safest. This ingredient is found in Salonpas, one of the world’s leading patch makers. The formulation has been used in China and Japan for years. Many people are turning to it now because it offers a way to control discomfort without any prescription or over-the-counter pills. Besides this, these patches tend to relieve pain for hours at a time.
Cannabis can only be used in patches in areas where this ingredient is legal. Long known for its pain-relieving abilities, the substance comes from the marijuana plant. This ingredient also offers an effective back pain reliever without side effects. In fact, many formulations incorporate the pain-relieving compound CBD only. This means the product does not produce any psychoactive side effects.
No matter how safe or natural the product is always talk with your healthcare provider about using these products. They can sometimes interact with supplements or other pills that you take. More often, they are safe to take but it pays to use a sense of caution.
Multi-discipline Approach
In addition to using the patches as indicated or as needed, remember that multi-discipline approaches can help you manage the pain if not eradicate it. Eating good foods and those that cut down inflammation is helpful. Try eating omega-3s which are contained in soy, chia seeds, walnuts, fish, and flaxseed. It is believed these help lower your body’s ability to produce inflammation, and inflammation is a major contributor to pain.
Incorporate therapeutic massage into your regimen. Healing touch helps to move any toxins away from the areas of pain and also helps the body restore itself to its normal, pre-inflammatory state.
Gentle stretches and exercise as indicated by your doctor are also helpful. Lying in bed or sitting for hours at a desk only helps your back muscles remain in one place.
Combine the use of pain relief patches with these exercises as well as a good diet and massage. Together, these will help you feel better without the use of prescription or non-prescription medications.