Palm Partners: Treating Chronic Pain Without Narcotics

When we start our journey of recovery, a lot of us worry about the issues we have with chronic pain and dealing with it without painkillers or narcotics. There have been new studies and information surfacing that there is a new way to help you deal with your pain that isn’t a narcotic drug called the P-STIM. This is the first and as of now the only FDA approved, continuous microchip controlled, ambulatory device presently on the market for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. The P-STIM is positioned behind the ear with adhesive and creates a low-frequency repetitive electrical pulse which is transferred to the exterior nerve endings in the ear through electrode leads.

The benefit of using the ear for such treatment is that it offers direct, minimally intrusive entree to the Autonomic Nervous System and Neurovascular System. In most cases, P-STIM not only considerably lessens pain but also permits a substantially improved quality of life. The P-STIM offers clinically confirmed pain relief for patients suffering from: migraines, cancer pain, cervical pain, TMJ pain, wound care, back pain, lumbar pain, sciatica, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, vascular insufficiency, craniofacial pain, arthritis and joint pain. In cases of chronic pain, inequalities in the nervous system happen over time which causes the pain to get worse.  The P-STIM stimulates small nerve ending in the ear which is starting to correct those inequalities and also results in a release of endorphins which help reduce the pain.

P-STIM therapy can be used by itself or in combination with other treatments as advised by your health care specialist. Each treatment phase lasts for about four days and then the device is removed and thrown away. When it comes to how many treatments each person will need, it varies for each individual and your health care professional will determine that with you. During the treatment you will feel a mild tapping or pulsing at the treatment points and the intensity depends on the patient. It is usually very mild and will lessen over the four days of treatment.

I think that the P-STIM can be a great treatment alternative to pain medication for people with addiction issues and anyone suffering with acute and chronic pain. It can be difficult to have to live in pain because your addiction prevents you from taking pain meds and I do believe that some people are in enough pain where this would be extremely beneficial for them. It would also be great to use for people as an alternative to pain meds even if they aren’t addicts. There are also other options to help deal with pain such as meditation, yoga, exercise, acupuncture or massage therapy. Yoga has proven to be particularly beneficial for people with chronic pain. I believe that keeping busy and not focusing on the pain can decrease the pain, also. If you are in recovery from drugs and an addiction to painkillers I think it also can be helpful to talk about it with other addicts. You are not the only one going through it and sometimes talking to others can help and even give you ideas on how to deal with it! If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-800-951-6135.