Headaches and Back Pains: What’s Really Going on Inside Your Body?

Headaches and Back Pains - AmeriBest Home Care

Headaches and back pains are amongst the most common complaints of seniors.

As we get older, it’s not uncommon to develop sore muscles or chronic pains in our bodies. But, that doesn’t mean we have to live in misery.

Now a day, there are all sorts of remedies and solutions to alleviate headache and back pain.

The first step in alleviating body pain is identifying what and where it is. Next, is understanding the cause. And lastly, is finding the solution with which to approach the problem.

Here are some questions and answers to steer you on your way to a painless life.

Is it a chronic pain or acute pain?

When identifying head or back pain, you need to recognize whether it is “chronic” or “acute.” Because that’s one of the first questions a doctor will ask you.

Chronic pain can be described as more of a dull sense of pain over an extended period of time. You might be able to function normally with the pain, but it is still there. And it is still irritating.

Acute pain, on the other hand, is a sudden burst of pain. It can be described as sharp or intense. It is a pain that might really make you stop what you’re doing and pay attention to it. But it’s likely not to last long, and certainly not as long as chronic pain.

Being able to categorize your pain as chronic or acute, is a huge step in finding a remedy.

What causes persistent headaches and back pains?

Unfortunately, there is a myriad of items that could cause head pain or back pain. Causes can range anywhere from lack of sleep, poor posture, arthritis, disease, ulcers, and cancer.

We’re not trying to scare you with those last few examples. But we do want you to understand the wide range of causes that can be the triggers of chronic pain.

Are headaches and back pains connected?

When seniors complain of back pain or head pain, they often complain of the other as well.

This observation has led to new scientific research on the subject. Researchers are now suggesting that there is, in fact, a connection between the two pains. Doctors are hoping that the research found may lead to a new and improved remedy- a remedy that targets both pains at once.

The wish is that as one pain lessens, the other will as well.

What can I do to alleviate my headaches and back pain?

It all depends on what the cause of your pain might be.

For chronic headaches, doctors will often prescribe medicinal treatments to alleviate the pain.
For chronic back pain, on the other hand, the solution is often exercise or physical therapy. Back pain is usually associated with weaker muscles, and so strengthening stomach and back muscles is thought to help lessen the pain.

In light of the new studies done, researchers now suspect that exercise and physical therapy intended to target back pain may also help with head pain.

FAQ: Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

FAQ: Post-Stroke Rehabilitation - AmeriBest Home Care

What is a stroke?

Strokes can be divided into two main categories: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic.

Ischemic is the more common of the two types. An ischemic stroke occurs when clots or plague block the blood’s path to the brain. This can happen directly in the brain’s blood vessels or it can happen in other blood vessels that run toward the brain.

A hemorrhagic stroke, on the other hand, occurs when a blood vessel actually breaks. In some ways, this can be worse because the blood contained within the vessel escapes and damages the brain’s tissue.

Can you recover from a stroke?

The good news is- yes!
The bad news is- recovery can take some time.

Strokes can cause serious damage to the brain. Often times, it damages motor neurons, resulting in physical mobility loss. This can show in the form of speech impairment, facial expression impairment, or limb control impairment.

Recovering from a stroke may not always be as neat as one would like. If survivors are lucky, they are able to recover fully with minimal residual effects. But other times, survivors may be left with some kind of disability to work through.

How long does it take to recover from a stroke?

Depending on the severity of the damage, stroke survivors could take anywhere from days to years to recover.

What is post-stroke rehabilitation?

Post-stroke rehabilitation is a type of therapy treatment.

As aforementioned, strokes often result in some after-effects as an outcome of brain damage. Post-stroke rehabilitation cannot undo brain damage. It is not a cure. But, it can help alleviate and manage symptoms.

Post-stroke rehabilitation works to provide a long-term solution to the aftermath of a stroke. And, to get stroke survivors functioning as independently as possible.

When should you start post-stroke rehabilitation?

Post-stroke rehabilitation begins as soon as a stroke survivor has been stabilized.

There are two ways to begin rehabilitation. If the stroke patient is paralyzed or unable to move on his or her own, a therapist will begin the rehabilitation by physically moving the patient around to increase mobility. If the stroke patient has some mobility control already, the therapist will have the patient independently exercise his or her own limbs.

After that, the main key to successful rehabilitation is continuous and consistent exercising and therapy.

Where to go for post-stroke rehabilitation?

When it comes to rehabilitation, it’s extremely important to do the therapy sessions consistently. And on a regular basis.

Keeping to a regular schedule can be hard for many, especially when it involves coordinating transportation. If this is the case for you or a loved one, we highly recommend hiring a professional home care aid.

When you hire through a home care agency like AmeriBest, we send our therapists and nurses straight to your own home. So that you never have to worry about traveling to your therapy sessions and getting there on time.

At-home rehabilitation is a great time saver and an even greater way to make sure you’re getting the care you need.