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By Dr Bina Kurup
Senior Family Physician
At some time or other, in some form or other, aches and pains has hit everyone of us. How we react to pain depends on our pain-tolerance level, our personal beliefs about pain, past experiences and even advice from family and friends.
Pain is usually your body's way of telling you that something is wrong or amiss. It can result from:
- injury/trauma - such as sprained ankle and fracture
- inflammation - such as arthritis and gout resulting in joint pains
- infection - such as painful boils and appendicitis
When you are in pain, you may decide to self-medicate or follow folk-remedies for some time before you decide to see a doctor. Please stop and consider the fact behind these myths, and decide if you need medical attention.
Myth
"It's raining and my knees hurt."
"I was caught in the rain yesterday. It gave me a terrible headache this morning."
Fact
Rainfall has long been associated with causing pain and rheumatism.
Though rainy days may seem to aggravate the pain in patients and osteo-arthritis (the degenerative type), it alone is not the cause of pain for these patients. Similarly, one cannot get a headache just by walking in the rain.
Myth
"To get rid of a bad headache fast, tie a tight headband around your head."
Fact
Direct pressure, like a massage, does relief the pain temporarily. However, leaving a headband on does nothing more than make you look like a bandit!
If you have an episode of severe headache or suffer from frequent headaches, it is best to consult your Family Doctor for further evaluation and investigation. It may turn out to be more than just a "tension headache".
Myth
"Copper bangles keep your joint pains at bay."
Fact
Copper and other ionic materials have not been proven to prevent arthritis nor alleviate the pain associated with it.
Myth
"I fell and twisted my ankle badly. I heard a little crack and I can hardly walk now. It's not necessary to see a doctor though. Even if there is a hair-line crack, taking extra calcium supplements will help heal it fast."
Fact
This scenario does not happen often as there is significant pain, swelling and immobility that necessitates medical consultation. However, there are still some people who believe in natural healing, taking just calcium tablets and no other precautions.
In addition to prolonged pain and discomfort, fractures that are not properly immobilized will affect the long-term healing of the bone.
Myth
"If you have diarrhoea, stomach ache or flu, all you need is this Panadol, and you will be fine."
Fact
Panadol or Paracetamol is often used as a first line cure-all for several symptoms and ailments. Although it helps relieve pain or fever associated with viral infections, the clearance of symptoms is usually due to the self-limiting nature of conditions such as common colds and viral gastritis.
Paracetamol is generally safe but it is important to not to exceed 8 tablets of 500mg Paracetomol per day and not take it more frequently than 4 to 6 hourly in adults. An overdose can cause liver damage and is life-threatening.
These are only some of the myths associated with aches and pains. If you suffer from any, please discuss them with your family doctor who is best placed to advise you on the most appropriate treatment option.
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