SHTF Pain Mangement
No matter how hard you try to avoid injury to yourself or others in a SHTF scenario, it will inevitably occur. Managing the pain that follows can prove difficult. Not all of us have stored 10 bottles of 180 Percocets for just in-case. (Ok maybe some of you manipulators). Pain can be controlled to an extent with these simple physical methods.
1) Compression Analgesia - Simply put, pain is reduced via compression of peripheral nerves. Remember, you are compressing to help pain, not control bleeding, so check pulses so their or your extremity doesn't fall off.
2) Cryoanalgesia - Fancy term for applying cold to reduce pain. Applying cold absorbs heat from adjacent tissue and nerve conduction is reversibly blocked. This can be done with cold water, snow, ice or mud. Just make sure you aren't causing frostbite.
3) Heat Therapy - Not the best choice for acute injury or bleeding, unless you hate the person. But heat can relax muscles, reduce contractions and spasms, and can be very useful for pain management.
4) Splinting - Stabilizing and injury and preventing a fractured bone from wreaking havoc to surrounding tissue makes sense as a pain management method. It can also facilitate the combination of cold and compression analgesia.
These simple methods can definitely be put to use in any scenario. Join us each week for more quick and dirty medical tips. You can find this tip in podcast form HERE.
