Our World Runs On Painkillers!

I will be surprised to find any health facility in the world where painkillers or analgesics do not rank in the top prescriptions on any day. Certainly for many it will occupy that enviable pole position. We prescribe and people take painkillers for a myriad of unimagineable reasons some of which are outright “funny”. People take painkillers when they are tired, some to aid sleep and Merari’s (May his soul rest in peace) friend Kofi Kokotako and a few others may even take it to suppress hunger pangs. The world definitely runs on painkillers.

Many times we are the cause of the pain we experience and though the cause may be staring us in the face, we will rather take painkillers instead of addressing the actual cause of the pain. Paracetamol, Brufen, Diclofenac and others are treated as food supplements or vitamins. We pop them with or without meals and keep moving on.

Some common causes of pain include but are not limited to the following:

A. Work-related pains

a. “Your posture could kill you” is no exaggeration. Many of us sit as if we have downed two bowls of fufu and need to be tucked in bed. This would be an invitation to back pain.

b. Poor lifting techniques will also set off back pain

c. For those of us who type a lot, review the angle at which your wrist is positioned. This could be a visa for wrist pain.

B. Diet-related pains

a. If you overeat you will feel discomfort and in some cases you will experience outright pain.

b. Hot spicy meals, fizzy drinks, certain analgesics open the doors to peptic ulcer disease and its attendant “heart-burns”

c. Dehydration from inadequate water intake may be the cause of your nagging headache.

C. Lifestyle-related pains

a. Obesity is said to walk hand-in-hand with pain and that may really not be far from the truth. The extra weight on the joints alone over long periods of time will eventually cause pain.

b. Lack of physical activity especially for those with a history of exercise may lead to body aches

D. Others

a. An extremely soft mattress will soon set the stage for body pains especially back pain.

b. The cause of your back pain may be as simple as ABC. You probably sleep with your whole body exposed especially in hot weather. Take the right precautions because, the temperature may drop at dawn and you body loses some “heat” leaving you with pain. You do not need to wear ‘winter clothing” to bed but at least cover the essentials.

c. Poor eyesight may lead to undue straining of the eyes and subsequent headaches

d. Abusing pain medication may cause us more pain

e. Bending over (rounding your back) to hand wash clothes etc for long periods of time will be inviting trouble.

f. Even certain sports may have an impact on our wrists, elbows or knees and pain will sound alarm bells.

Imagine Koo returning home late at night with severe back pain. His wife, Yaa Manu had been to hospital three months earlier with a complaint of shoulder pain. The medication given worked like magic and that was even when she was asked to take only one pill a day. Yaa Manu turned doctor overnight is sure that the left over pills can solve Koo’s woos especially if he doubles the dose. So 2 pills are handed over to Koo who immediately downs them and goes to bed. No expiry date checked, no regard to storage of the drug and its current state and certainly no big deal about dose of the drug that is safe to take. Since it stopped her pain, then it must be a pain killer for sure. This family certainly has committed many mistakes in the book and many of us do the same on a daily basis with pain killers.

WATCH THESE THINGS

1. Doubling the dose of the pain medication may not be a smart thing to do after all

a. Drugs have doses that are safe for use. Doubling may increase the side effect while not giving extra benefits.

2. Taking “unprescribed” left over drugs is “criminal”

a. That drug must have been prescribed by a professional who took several things into consideration including gender, age, other medications one is taking and other illnesses that person may have. Do not play doctor. Seek help. That pain may also need something other than a painkiller.

3. Combining different drugs for better effect without a professional’s instructions may be suicidal

4. If the tablet is not scored, it may not be a good idea to be breaking it

a. Scored tablets have a line along the midsection that makes it easy to break. We still want to break tablets further for various reasons and eventually reduce or lose the efficacy of the drug.

5. Alcohol is no friend of many medications including painkillers.

a. Just as some medication may potentiate the effect of alcohol so may alcohol do in many drugs including painkillers. Do not mix the 2.

It is crystal clear that making minor modifications to our lifestyle can rid us of many of the pains that torment us daily. Try these out:

• Ensure your posture is right most of the time

• Use a good mattress and chair

• Wear good, comfortable shoes

• Drink adequate amount of water

• Have your eyes checked

• Manage your weight

• Eat appropriately with no excesses

• Exercise regularly

All you may need to manage some aches may be an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller but be cautious at all times. Adopt minor lifestyle modifications to reduce the occurrence of pain and DO NOT ABUSE painkillers, they are NOT food supplements.

Source:

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Moms’ Health Club

(dressel@healthclubsgh.com)

*Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.

Thought for the week –“More evidence keeps rolling in, most people need at least 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of physical activity each week to keep many diseases in check.”

Join me in Kumasi next Saturday 28th July as I walk with COCOBOD and friends. Start point is Jubilee House/COCOBOD House in Adum at 6am prompt.

Reference:

1. www.mayoclinic.com – causes of pain

2. www.webmd.com – managing pain