Can changes in your diet help relieve pain?
Why is fibromyalgia so difficult to diagnose?
What even is pain? Is pain real?
We spoke to Dr Dhruv Bibra, pain management specialist where we asked him all your questions about pain, diagnosis, treatment options and how best to tackle your painful woes.
This Q&A session is part of FIT's #DecodingPain series, where we look at the different aspects of pain, what causes it, the stigmas attached to it, and the different ways in which it can be treated.
Here are some excerpts from the LIVE Q&A session.
Is pain real? Is there a difference between psychological and physical pain?
There is no such thing as real pain and fake pain, or psychological pain. Pain is pain. It has an emotional aspect, as well as a physical aspect. There could be conditions where a patient has pain, and it has led to psychological manifestations...there is also a minor subset of patients who have a psychological issue which then manifest as pain.
Can pain be managed without painkillers and medication?
When we plan a management for a patient, we have to take a multidisciplinary approach to pain, this involves medicines, physical therapy, and even psychological interventions. Every intervention has a part to play.
If you remove one of them, your management will be incomplete.
Can dietary changes help manage chronic pain like migraine?
Yes, definitely. When it comes to triggers for migraine, the most common foods to avoid are the Cs–Colas, Chips, Coffee, Chocolate.
One golden rule that everyone should follow is to not be empty stomach for more than 4 hours.
In the case of other chronic pain, the most common reason is vitamin D deficiency, which is unfortunately rampant in our country.
Dr Bibra also said, "people tend to undermine their pain also, saying 'yeh toh hota hia'. No pain is healthy. Every pain needs an answer of why it is happening and once we find that, we need to chase it and find the best possible solution which is compatible with your quality of life."
Watch the full Q&A video to listen to Dr Bibra decode more pain related queries!
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