by dmcff » 17 May 2017, 03:20
I guess no more members think that a pain management section of the forum would be a good idea. I wonder if any of the moderators have a view on this issue?
It seems to me that a section devoted specially to pain management would be a useful addition - after all, topical treatments, softeners and surgical procedures are only one aspect of AF, there is also the problem of how to deal with the pain of the condition, which can be disabling and even socially paralysing at times. There are medications that can address this difficulty - gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptyline (low dose) and other 'nerve blocking' agents can help to keep the fissure pain within reasonable limits. But also, people are different, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Meditation, yoga and mindfulness techniques are another way of coping with AF, and discussion of these can be useful.
For AF sufferers it's sometimes hard to keep the physical aspects of AF separate from the psychological ones, and this isn't always a positive experience - but in the field of pain management the two often come together in a way that's instructive and helpful, rather than negative and harmful.
I realise that there is already a section devoted to Chronic Pain (not necessarily fissure-related), and one on Diet Tips and Supplements, which deals with some pain-related issues.
2014 Anal fissure
2015 CAT, EUA, sigmoidoscopy, 2 MRI
2016 Pain severe then moderate to low
2017 Moderate pain
2018 Physical therapy, pain management
2019-20 Living with it
2021 Still AF
2022 Therapy, meditation
2023 Onward, up
2024 CT scan