Dealing with pain brought on by illness can truly be a struggle. With uncertainty over symptoms and some medications not just doing the trick, it adds more unnecessary stress in our day-to-day lives. Add on the financial implications of treatments, prescriptions, and surgeries and it becomes even more cumbersome.
There are ways to deal with your pain and the pains that come with it, whether it’s decreasing the severity of symptoms or better benefitting your bottom line.
CBD For Chronic Pain Relief
You’ve probably heard about CBD products through a friend or family member. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound that is associated with the calming properties of cannabis and hemp plants. CBD products are purified to limit the amount of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) within them so that you can enjoy the stress relief without getting high. The best CBD goes through a rigorous process to eliminate any toxins or pesticides, and to extract the purest material for CBD content that is designed solely for health benefits from cannabinoids.
CBD has become a recognized all-natural treatment for chronic pain. It has proven beneficial when it comes to reducing inflammation, easing anxiety, and providing a serviceable alternative to NSAIDs and prescription pain relievers for patients with severe illnesses, like cancer. The effects of CBD oil on your brain’s receptors have been shown to offer a counterbalance to chemotherapy treatments, by helping to ease the chronic muscle pain and nausea that often comes with those rigorous and debilitating treatment plans.
CBD provides anxiety relief from the harsh symptoms that cancer patients may be dealing with while combating that same chronic pain. It is also known to ease insomnia and provides a great way to relax through what can be a very difficult medical journey.
CBD oil is the most commonly seen form of cannabidiol. However, the benefits of CBD have also been made available through creams, edibles, and even the best CBD cigarettes. These provide the same feeling as smoking a marijuana cigarette without having to fear addictive and psychoactive repercussions in order to deal with neuropathic pain you may be experiencing due to illness. Hemp CBD cigarettes are also a much healthier alternative to the usual tobacco cigarettes, which have dangerous ramifications from excessive use.
Unlike a traditional cigarette, hemp cigarettes do not come with any concerns over nicotine addiction for smokers, as well as safer ingredients from CBD flower and a more natural approach to pain management. CBD cigarettes actually come in varying strains that will have a different impact. It is in the best interest of any first time user of CBD products to understand the strength of certain variations and work in consultation with a medical professional to assure you are taking a dosage that works for you without any feelings of discomfort. Be sure to monitor the milligrams (mg of CBD) before usage.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Whether you need help with chronic pain management or orofacial pain treatment, an approach based on compassion may be just what cures you. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a way to cope with health problems by altering your thinking when it comes to pain management. By learning to stop negative thoughts as they seep into our psyche, CBT provides better guidance on how to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression that may be amplified by chronic pain.
Using cognitive behavioral therapy, patients are instructed on ways to calm their mind and body to alleviate physical symptoms they may be dealing with. This could include meditation, yoga, muscle relaxation, or guided imagery. This application process helps a patient to discover the treatment program that may be right for them and provide the most success in combating symptoms through the power of suggestive thought and distraction.
With minimal to no risk, CBT can be helpful for how you think about chronic pain and illness. It also provides instruction on how to be more active, as physical activity can actually help with issues that stem from severe pain. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can actually be recommended in conjunction with physical therapy to find a better way to stimulate activity while finding proper outlets to deal with your symptoms.
For example, someone who has undergone treatment for maxillofacial surgery, which is treating trauma suffered to the face or jawline, could rely on cognitive behavioral therapy to better combat symptoms they could be dealing with post-operation. By understanding ways to avoid negative triggers associated with that pain, CBT allows patients to find their inner strength without having to heavily rely on NSAIDs, ibuprofen, or dangerous prescription-strength drugs that can be highly addictive.
It is important to find the therapist that is right for you and could have a better understanding of your ailments to align with CBT. Make sure that you feel as though you are in good hands, as it will create greater trust and a safer space for you to be open about your struggles.
Viatical Settlements
Illness can not only be devastating to our physical being, but also to our financial wellbeing. Patients have opted for viatical settlements to help provide some monetary padding during times they made need it the most.
A viatical from American Life Fund refers to the financial transaction of a life insurance policy from a policyholder to a third party. Viatical settlements enable the insured to sell their insurance policies to viatical settlement providers for a lump sum cash payout. Brokers will work to find the highest offer for a payout that may be less than face value, or net death benefit, but more than the cash surrender value of a life insurance policy.
A viatical settlement provides financial freedom for patients dealing with late-stage cancer or other terminal illness. Through the life settlement process, patients can pay off medical bills or pursue additional treatment options with a boost of financial assistance. A whole, term, or group policy can be sold through a broker. Life settlement companies consider several factors, including the type of illness, the stage the disease is in, as well as insurance premiums, and other relevant information.
A viatical settlement provider will let you know what kind of figure to expect. The value a settlement provider offers a policyholder can range in varying cases, coming as high as 70 percent of the face value of the policy.
Viatical settlements are not necessarily required for medical treatment solely, but can also be used as a financial option to reduce other debts, like home mortgages or student loans. This could also allow family members to take time off work to care for their loved ones. Viatical settlements, in and of themselves, do not provide any additional debt to the person receiving the settlement. It is also a quick solution to solving financial woes, as payouts from viatical settlements can find their way into your bank account in a fairly expeditious fashion.
Viatical settlement transactions also spare a life insurance policyholder from paying insurance premiums every month, as the settlement company effectively takes ownership of the policy from the insurance company.
While viatical settlements are not an end-all, be-all financial plan, it does provide immediate peace of mind. In fact, that money can also go towards something that may actually be of enjoyment for a person with a chronic or terminal illness, like a trip for the family or assured financial safety for your loved ones.
