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by Molly M. Ginty
It fries your nerves. It fogs your brain. It
fouls your mood.
That’s the toll of chronic pain, defined as any ache
that lasts more than three months, impairs your
normal functioning, and is no longer useful because
it alerts you to an injury you already know about.
"Common yet under treated, persistent pain limits
you in many ways, affecting you psychologically as
well as physically," says Dr. Jennifer Schneider,
author of Living with Chronic Pain. "It can
take over your entire life — but only if you let
it."
According to the American Pain Foundation, 14
percent of us have aches that have persisted three
to 12 months, while 42 percent suffer from pain that
has lasted more than a year. These stats — and the
fact that chronic pain is the leading reason we seek
medical care — have prompted health advocates to
name September Pain Awareness Month.
From stiff shoulders to aching arches, chronic
pain can strike anywhere, often plaguing several
body parts at once. Its most common forms are
backaches (27 percent), followed by headaches (15
percent), neck pain (15 percent), and facial aches
(4 percent).
Who develops chronic pain? Researchers believe
sufferers may have lower-than-average levels of
endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Studies
show they may also have memories of pain stuck in
the brain’s cortex long after injuries have healed.
Being female is another risk factor. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
women are more likely than men to have pain. And
according to a University of Maryland study, they’re
also more likely to seek treatment for it.
"Women transmit sensations in their central
nervous systems differently than men do, so they
seem to have a heightened perception of pain," says
Micke Brown, R.N., director of advocacy for the
American Pain Foundation. "They’re more likely to
develop painful problems such as fibromyalgia and
migraines, and they experience pain due to pelvic
conditions that men don’t get, such as endometriosis
and fibroids."
Regardless of how chronic pain begins and
develops, the search for a cure can prove maddening.
"No medical tool can measure pain’s intensity, so
the standard way of assessing it is for a doctor to
ask, ‘On scale of 1 to 10, how much pain are you
having?’" says Schneider. "Since the reply is
subjective, it can be tough to tell what’s going on
and fix it."
Because chronic pain is so difficult to assess
and treat, sufferers see an average of five to eight
doctors — and search three to five years — before
finding a cure that works. The good news? Faster
relief is possible if you follow these expert tips.
Get Treatment ASAP
"The longer you leave pain unattended, the more
damage it does to the central nervous system, and
the worse the problem becomes," warns Brown. "Act
now, and you’ll spare yourself more pain down the
line."
Communicate Clearly
When you seek treatment, give your doctor a
detailed, written description of your experience.
"Chronic pain patients are often so distraught that
they don’t describe their symptoms in a clear,
chronological way," says Judith A. Paice, president
of the American Pain Society. "But if you
communicate effectively, you’ll get effective help."
Blend Remedies
The first line of defense against chronic pain
is usually medication: nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-seizure drugs, opioids,
or tricylclic antidepressants. Other remedies
include meditation; biofeedback; acupuncture;
hypnosis; chiropractic; counseling; music, water,
and physical therapies; yoga; and transcutaneous
electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which delivers
gentle impulses to the affected area. If one cure
fails you, experts recommend trying another — then
another — until you find the right mix.
Rethink Your Rituals
Whether you realize it or not, your regular
habits could be causing — or exacerbating — your
pain. Reexamine what you do on a daily basis. What
movements trigger flare-ups?
What events cause stress that makes the pain
worse? Is your mattress the right type to help your
lower back problem? Is your work station set up to
ease your neck, arm, or wrist pain? Make sure that
you move and act only in ways that support your
healing.
Exercise, Gently
"People in chronic pain are often afraid of
physical activity, but if you don’t move, your
muscles get stiff and weak, making the problem
worse," says Schneider. Every day, get a little
exercise, slowly walking around the block or simply
stretching on the floor
Get Support
Tell your friends and family what you’re going
through and keep your employer in the loop. Consider
reaching out to on-line peer support groups run by
the American Pain Foundation (www.painfoundation.
org) and the American Chronic Pain Association (www.theacpa.org).
Think Positive
"Give yourself permission to cry and get angry,
but don’t get stuck in ‘woe is me,’" says Maggie
Buckley of Walnut Creek, California, who has lived
for three decades with daily pain from Ehlers-Danlos
syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. "Even if the
pain doesn’t go away, you can cope if you stay
positive and focus on what you can do. This
will distract you from the pain, and that will allow
you to resume enjoying your life."
Molly M. Ginty
lives in New York. Her work
has appeared in Ms., Marie Claire, Redbook,
and Women’s eNews.
Article published in Lutheran Woman Today,
September 2008
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