Resources

 

Pain Relief

non-chemical/pharmaceuticalI was treated with TENs devices by my physio after the accident.

Years later I decided to try them again and was immediately kicking myself for stopping.

TENs interrupted my pain signals and bought back that amazing sensation we call relaxation. I use TENs regularly, perhaps even too much as I have noticed getting some tolerance build-up.

I initially bought cheap TENs machines from Hong Kong, eventually giving up after wearing out the third device in just a few months. Don’t waste your money with cheapies, get a proper one and treat yourself.

 

 

 

Understanding your health is critical to knowing yourself and how best to structure your treatment. My journey with chronic pain and phantom pain begun with my injury and in the first week we were met with almost no actual facts as Doctors took the traditional wait-and-see approach. Mum had to argue face-face with the specialist about whether or not it was paralyzed which caused great stress at the time because it was only natural to fear the worst when the medical experts refuse to offer a diagnosis.

I realised that being stuck in a public teaching hospital also meant I had access to the same texts the medical students did and the staff were very nice with letting me have whatever I wanted. Thus begun my little research project about my disability and phantom pain. (I offered myself in return as a teaching subject and had a couple of funny experiences with young student doctors poking me with pins trying to determine what was wrong!)

My outpatient pain-specialist doctor taught me techniques based on cognitive-therapy which showed ways of changing my attitude towards pain.

I think it’s important to be exposed to a range of different opinions before making your mind up. I hope the following range of books from Amazon may be useful and start a similar journey for others.

YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook for Getting the Best Treatment

Both of the books authors are experienced Doctors. Accessible, humorous, and filled with information that you need, You: The Smart Patient is a book for every patient and all those dealing with a loved one’s medical issues.

Do you suffer from chronic pain? This reassuring, practical guide helps you understand what causes pain and how to manage it with the newest pain-relieving techniques. You’ll see how to track your pain triggers, weigh the benefits and risks of pain-reducing medications, improve your pain levels with diet and exercise, and determine whether surgery is right for you.

Discover how to:

  • Diagnose your pain
  • Build an anti-pain medical team
  • Prevent or minimize pain attacks
  • Explore alternative therapies
  • Make helpful lifestyle changes

 

Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain

Written by an author who has suffered with chronic pain himself, Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for

Stopping Chronic Pain takes a specific stand on why you’re hurting and what you should do about it. In a nutshell, the idea is that chronic pain is due to imbalances in the body- mainly those of posture and alignment, which can be corrected through proper motions the book calls “E-cises”.

 

Living with Chronic Pain, Second Edition

The Complete Health Guide to the Causes and Treatment of Chronic Pain Chronic pain can be a symptom of a variety of illnesses, injuries, or chronic conditions. From back pain to migraine headaches to arthritis, from sports injuries to cancer, chronic pain can afflict anyone at any age. It is one of the most frequently under-treated conditions and, even worse, many doctors simply ignore it.

 

Too Much for One Lifetime:: How to Remain Positive Despite Physical Disabilities & Other Life Challenges

 

One-armed resources

 

Kitchen buddies

Living with one-arm presents daily challenges and the one-room in the house that consistently presents some common sources of difficulty and frustration. Don’t give up and stick to beans and noodles, that’s no challenge!

 

 

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This is my magic kitchen buddy and an absolute must-have item for one-handed kitchen preparation tasks. The lever & vice allows all sorts of objects to be held securely and the nail board is great for holding fruit and vegetables. Lasts for years and is fully adjustable. Every piece is detachable for cleaning

Jar Openers

Over the years of living one-handed I’ve used a wide variety of jar openers as the task is immensely difficult even for two-handed folk! The amount of times I’ve had pasta-sauce-rage is a little embarrassing to admit.

 

 

My favourite devices are a ‘V” shaped jar opener and for heavy-artillery purposes I use a metal-workers vice! Have to be careful as it has broken a couple of jars when I applied too much pressure.

Utensils
T-Knife
The Rocking T Knife allows for easy cutting for people with a weak grasp or the use of only one hand.Good Grips Weighted Utensils are equipped with added weight to keep hands steady when eating.

 

 

 

At home

& out. and, about.
For the 19 years I lived with the paralysed arm before amputation, I used compression bandages to help relieve the phantom pain. For me, the feeling of tightness somehow provided a comforting ‘counter’ to the phantom pain. Because I could place the bandage over the exact ‘phantom’ area it seemed very effective.

 

 

For me this was the ideal type because the elbow was where my phantom pain site was.

standard elbow support is terry lined vented neoprene with nylon outer shell. Retains heat without moisture build-up. Contour fit and washable. Sold individually color black. Sizes Small-X-Large

At times I would wear a sling to give the shoulder some rest. I found the sling to be unexpectedly uncomfortable as I was hyper-sensitive in the elbow when it was bent, causing a cramp-like sensation to develop quite quickly.