Intuthuko Ekwelapheni Ubuhlungu

KUZE kube muva nje bambalwa odokotela abebazi okuningi ngobuhlungu, futhi abaningi abakazi lutho. UDkt. John Liebeskind, owayengumongameli we-International Pain Foundation, waphawula eminyakeni embalwa edlule: “Angicabangi ukuthi sikhona isikole sezokwelapha emhlabeni lapho amahora angaphezu kwamane eminyakeni emine ake achithwa khona kufundiswa abafundi ngokuthola nokwelapha izinkinga zobuhlungu.”

Nokho, impumelelo ekuqondeni ubuhlungu iye yathuka iqondana nemizamo emikhulu yokubelapha. Ngakho, umbono wezisulu zobuhlungu uye wagqama. “Sonke singabonga,” kubika umagazini i-American Health, “ngokuthi manje ezokwelapha seziyaqaphela ukuthi ubuhlungu obungapheli abulona nje uphawu lokugula, kodwa bona ngokwabo buyisifo eselaphekayo.” Lombono uye wanikela ekwandeni okukhulu kwemitholampilo ezinikele ekwelapheni ubuhlungu.

Lapho Ubuhlungu Belashwa Khona

UDkt. John J. Bonica wavula umtholampilo wokuqala obhekene nazo zonke izinhlobo zobuhlungu e-United States. “Ngo-1969 kwase kunemitholampilo eyishumi efana nawo emhlabeni wonke,” ebika. Kodwa inani lemitholampilo ezinikele ekwelapheni ubuhlungu liye landa ngokuphawulekayo kuleminyaka engu-25 edlule. Manje sekunemitholampilo ebhekene nobuhlungu engaphezu kwenkulungwane, futhi omunye ummeleli wenhlangano kazwelonke ebhekene nobuhlungu obungapheli wathi “kuvulwa emisha cishe nsuku zonke.”a

Cabanga ukuthi lokho kusho ukuthini! “Manje iziguli ezazivame ukuhamba amakhulu noma izinkulungwane zamamayela ukuze zithole ubungcono ebuhlungwini obukhulu sezingabuthola khona lapha enqulwini nje,” kuphawula uDkt. Gary Feldstein, oyisazi seziqeda-nhlungu eNew York City. Uma kunguwena ohlushwa ubuhlungu, yeka ukuthi kungaba isibusiso kanjani ukuthola usizo eqenjini lochwepheshe abaqeqeshelwe ukwelapha ubuhlungu!

ULinda Parsons, unkosikazi wombonisi ojikelezayo woFakazi BakaJehova, wayephathwa iqolo iminyaka eminingi. Wayephuma engena kodokotela efuna usizo, kodwa ubuhlungu bakhe baqhubeka budlanga. Ngolunye usuku ngo-May ngonyaka odlule, esecishe ephelelwa ithemba, umyeni wakhe wathatha incwadi yezinombolo zocingo wabheka ngaphansi kwesihloko esiphathelene nobuhlungu. Kwakunenombolo yocingo yomtholampilo obhekene nobuhlungu owawungekude nalapho bekhonza khona eningizimu California. Kwamiswa isikhathi sokuza, futhi ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva uLinda wabonana nodokotela ukuze axilongwe okokuqala.

Kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba uLinda alashwe njengesiguli sangaphandle. Waqala ukuhambela lomtholampilo kathathu ngesonto ukuze alashwe futhi walandela nohlelo lokwelashelwa ekhaya. Emasontweni ambalwa, waqala ukuzwa intuthuko ephawulekayo. Umyeni wakhe uyachaza: “Ngiyakhumbula esho ngokumangala ngolunye usuku kusihlwa, ‘Angikholwa ukuthi cishe angizwa buhlungu nhlobo.’” Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile, ukuya kwakhe njalo emtholampilo kwanqanyulwa.

Usizo olwatholwa uLinda ukuze asingathe ubuhlungu bakhe luyefana nalolo olunikezwa imitholampilo eminingi ebhekene nazo zonke izinhlobo zobuhlungu. Umtholampilo onjalo uneqembu lochwepheshe bezempilo abanekhono, ngokukaDkt. Bonica, “eliyindlela engcono kakhulu yokubhekana nobuhlungu obungapheli.” Ngokwesibonelo, belashwa kanjani ubuhlungu bukaLinda?

Indlela Ubuhlungu Obungelashwa Ngayo

Kunencwadi yasemtholampilo echaza inqubo uma ufika: “Umuntu ngamunye uxilongwa udokotela ukuze athole isizinda sobuhlungu bese kuchazwa imigomo nezinhlelo zokwelapha ezifinyelelekayo. . . . Kusetshenziswa izindlela ezikhethekile zokusiza umzimba ukuba ukhiphe ‘ama-endorphin’ (amakhemikhali akhiqizwa ngokwemvelo emzimbeni) ukuze aqede ubuhlungu nokukhathazeka nokugwema ukuthembela ezidakamizweni.”

Phakathi nezindlela zokwelapha ezatholwa uLinda kwakuwukutshopa ne-TENS, okusho ukuthi transcutaneous (ngalé kwesikhumba) electrical nerve stimulation. Wathola ukwelashwa ngogesi emtholampilo futhi wanikwa nomshinyana we-TENS ukuze awusebenzise ekhaya. Kwasetshenziswa ne-biofeedback—okuyinqubo lapho isiguli sifundiswa khona ukuqapha ukusabela komzimba waso futhi sikuguqule ukuze sinciphise izinga lobuhlungu.

Ukwelapha okuvamile, kuhlanganise nokuhlikihlwa kwezicubu ezijulile, nakho kwakuyisici salenqubo yokwelapha. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kodwa kuphela lapho uLinda esekulungele, kwaqalwa uhlelo lokuvivinya umzimba endaweni yokuvivinya umzimba yasemtholampilo, futhi lwaba ingxenye ebalulekile yokwelapha. Ukuvivinya umzimba kubalulekile, ngoba kutholakale ukuthi kubuyisela ama-endorphin aseqedwe ubuhlungu obungapheli. Nokho, inselele isekusizeni abantu abasezinhlungwini ukuba basingathe uhlelo olunenzuzo lokuvivinya umzimba.

Abaningi abahlushwa ubuhlungu obungapheli abeza emitholampilo basebenzisa izilinganiso ezinkulu zeziqeda-nhlungu, noLinda wayenjalo. Kodwa ngokushesha wayeseyiyekisiwe leyomithi yakhe, okuwumgomo obalulekile wemitholampilo ebhekene nobuhlungu. ULinda akazange abhekane nemiphumela yokuyeka imilaliso, nokho lokho akukhona okungavamile. Isazi sezinhlungu uDkt. Ronald Melzack saphawula ukuthi “ekuhlolweni kwezisulu zokusha ezingaphezu kuka-10 000 . . . , asikho nesisodwa esaba umlutha ngenxa yemithi ukuze sidambise izinhlungu phakathi nokuhlala kwaso esibhedlela.”

Ngenxa yokuthi kusuke kunesici esiyinhloko esiphathelene nengqondo ebuhlungwini obungapheli, imitholampilo izama ukusiza iziguli ukuba eqinisweni zihlukane nobuhlungu bazo. “Lokho ocabanga ngakho,” kuchaza uDkt. Arthur Barsky, uprofesa eHarvard Medical School, “lokho okulindele, indlela oyinake ngayo imizwelo yakho—zonke lezizinto zinethonya elikhulu kulokho okuzwayo ngempela.” Ngakho iziguli zisizwa ukuba zigxile kwezinye izindaba ngaphandle kobuhlungu bazo.

Amathemba Okwelapheka

Ingabe lemitholampilo emisha eqondene nobuhlungu iyikhambi ezinkingeni zobuhlungu zesintu? Nakuba izindlela zokwelapha ubuhlungu ezichazwe lapha zingaba usizo, umuntu kumelwe aqikelele lapho ekhetha umtholampilo onosizo noma uchwepheshe wezinhlungu. Noma kunjalo, akumelwe kulindelwe okungaphezu kokuvamile.

Nasi isibonelo sendaba yomunye owaphumelela: UStephen Kaufman, owake waba ingqwele yama-Olympic kwabaphakamisa izinsimbi, wacishe wasala eyinkubela ngenxa yobuhlungu obungapheli abuthola lapho edutshulwa isigebengu entanyeni. Ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili esohlelweni lokwelapha ubuhlungu, wakwazi ukuphindela ngokugcwele emsebenzini futhi ekugcineni ngisho nasemincintiswaneni yokuphakamisa izinsimbi. Nokho wathi: “Isikhathi esiningi, izinzwane zami zinjunjutha sengathi zisemanzini abilayo.”

Ngakho naphezu kwayo yonke lentuthuko ethakazelisayo, kusobala ukuthi kungaphezu kwamandla abantu ukugcwalisa isithembiso seBhayibheli esithi: ‘Ubuhlungu abusayikuba-khona.’ (IsAmbulo 21:4) Khona-ke uyogcwaliseka kanjani lowomgomo?

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 9]

Izindlela zokwelapha ubuhlungu, kuhlanganise nokushukunyiswa kwezinzwa ngogesi

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of Pain Treatment Centers of San Diego