CHRONIC PAIN
Does your daily routine include adjusting to some sort of nagging pain? You
are given one life to live. Why would you want to spend it in pain? Chances
are, if you do not do something about it, it will get worse. Especially
if it is a degenerative condition, do not "let it go." It will obviously get
harder to repair the more it degenerates. Here are some facts about chronic
pain and what you can do about it.
What is considered "chronic pain?"
Chronic pain is pain that has been experienced for more than 6 months. Chronic
pain can cause muscles to contract, contributing to soreness and stiffness.
An extensive survey and press release by the American Pain Society entitled
"Chronic Pain in America: Roadblock to Relief" reveals the following about chronic
pain:
- 56% of those suffering with chronic, moderate to severe pain have been
suffering for more than five years.
- 41% consider their pain to be "out of control," meaning that 4 out of every
10 people with chronic pain cannot find adequate relief.
- 47% of those surveyed changed doctors at least once, while a third changed
3 or more times.
So chances are, if you are experiencing chronic pain, you can look forward
to at least five more years of it if you do not attend to it.
What are common types of "chronic pain?"
The most common types of chronic pain include back pain, tension headaches,
abdominal pain and shoulder and neck pain.
How does chronic pain effect us?
If you think you should "just live with it," or that it does not or will not
effect your life overall, think again! Chronic pain can only have a negative
impact on the sufferer's quality of life. It can also interfere with the normal
function of glandular, digestive, eliminative, nervous, and circulatory systems.
Chronic pain can and often does affect loved ones and co-workers. Aside from
the fact that sufferers may be irritable, have little energy, and feel depressed,
they are continuously challenged to simply cope with day to day activities.
According to the above mentioned survey:
- 81% report that their chronic pain affects their ability to exercise,
- 41% have difficulty doing their jobs,
- 79% have trouble sleeping, and
- 54% report their spousal relationships are compromised.
How is chronic pain commonly treated?
Ineffectively, overall. Surgery is sometimes considered. Most commonly, however,
some type of medication is prescribed, and although some are considered effective
in masking pain, most medications available have the overshadowing danger of
side effects.
- People taking strong narcotics run the risk of addiction,
- Prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have repeatedly been
in the news because of the risks of internal ulcerous bleeding of the organs
that must handle the toxic side effects,
- According to an October, 2000 FoxNews article, 21% of patients taking NSAIDs
for two months or more develop ulcers.
Are there any studies on the benefits of seeking alternative health care?
- Nearly 90% of Kaiser Permanente primary care doctors recommended alternative
therapies or used them on adult members during a one-year period. This is
according to researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California and the
results were published in the September 1998 issue of the Western Journal
of Medicine.
- According to a British study conducted by Croft et al (1998), 50% of subjects
studied from two general practice clinics in Manchester continued to experience
back pain and disability 12 months after the onset and 25% still experienced
pain. This means 75% of those surveyed are "living with it."
Is there hope for chronic pain sufferers?
First of all, once you start to feel relief, you have to maintain it or it can
come back easily! Medication does not seem to be the final answer. It only works
temporarily and comes with hidden dangers. Surgery is drastic and often risky.
It is time to look into cause and correction using conservative chiropractic
care. Call our clinic for an examination which may be the first step to
getting your chronic pain "under control."
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