Even the medical staff at PainCare of San Diego gets back, neck, shoulder and joint pain, not to mention migraines, bursitis…you get the picture.
Of course we are all big believers in physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and medical pain management. But, there are also many things that we — and you — can do in the comfort of your own home to help better manage your pain.
In honor of Physician Assistant Week (October 6th – 12th), we asked PainCare of San Diego’s two excellent PAs to tell us a bit about their favorite at home pain management tools. Here’s what they said.
Elise Vera, MPAS, PA-C, has been with PainCare of San Diego since 2005. When she’s not treating patients, she can often be found at her desk using her trusty “Body Back Buddy” trigger point relief tool.
Similar to the Thera Cane tool used in our very own Physical Therapy Department, Elisa’s self-massager offers relief from spasms and tight muscles, stimulates circulation to promote healing and makes it easy to reach muscles and trigger points that get tensed up during her busy work day.
The Body Back Buddy as well as the Thera Cane that our PT staff uses on patients daily are both available on Amazon.com.
Joyce Hacinas, MSPA, PA-C, joined PainCare earlier this year. She’s a big proponent of pain management apps that are available to smart phone and tablet users. “My Pain Diary” and “My Migraine Triggers” are two apps that help patients track their everyday activities and identify potential pain triggers. This type of data can help patients make healthy lifestyle changes and can help their medical practitioners devise more effective treatment plans.
Joyce’s favorite app is “Pain Coach” by WebMD because it’s free and because it features doctor-approved tips and articles, symptom and treatment trackers, recommended goals and more. “Knowing what activities or foods to avoid and what treatments are working for you is incredibly helpful in your overall pain care approach,” Joyce says.