Take a New View of Chronic Pain
CHRONIC PAIN IS NOT THE PAIN YOU FEEL WHEN YOU CUT
YOUR FINGER—a short, sharp shock. It’s pain that persists, often
even when you sleep. If you suffer from chronic pain, how you manage
it can mean the difference between a life fully lived and one that
is endured.
It’s easy to feel like giving up if you’ve tried several treatments that haven’t worked. But are you getting the help you deserve? If not, take the following proactive approach to pain management to help you feel more in control.
- Find a doctor who will take you and your pain seriously. Not all doctors have been trained to treat pain. Look for a doctor who will work with you to identify the cause of pain and treat it aggressively.
- Develop a pain-management plan with your doctor. This plan may include what medications to take, when to take them, possible side effects, and how to avoid them. It also should include nonmedical treatments, such as meditation and exercise.
- Learn all you can about your condition. Whether you have arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia, or migraines, the more you know about your condition, the better you can help direct your treatment.
- Keep a pain diary and track your pain triggers, the severity of pain, and how pain affects your daily life. Rate pain using a scale of 1 to 10. Show your diary to the doctor to help track how well you are managing pain.
- Consider using nondrug therapies. These include acupuncture, massage, applying heat and cold, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy, and biofeedback. Try a few different techniques and see which works best for you.
- Stay active and involved. Staying in touch with friends is important because it wards off isolation and depression. Exercise is important because it can help you stay strong and distract you from pain. Make exercise part of your daily routine.
To learn more: American Pain Foundation, www.painfoundation.org
