For
Pain Sufferers - Good Pain Management Begins with You!
There is a hidden epidemic in Missouri
that robs one in four people of life’s pleasures.
Pain in all of its forms is a problem no matter where you
live.
The National Institute
of Health estimates that pain costs the U.S. economy $100
billion every year due to illness and lost work days. Pain
interferes
with sleep, social activities, hobbies, sex, and even how
you think. Pain isolates a person and takes away dignity
and hope.
But, there is hope, with treatment.
Taking control of pain can be hard work. The first step is
to admit that there is a problem. Pain that lasts for more
than two weeks, called chronic pain, is often ignored. Many
people suffer silently until it becomes impossible to avoid
seeking help. Even then, there are barriers to treatment due
to a shortage of physicians that treat pain, limitations of
insurance, distance needed to travel for care and other factors.
The good news is that effective medications and procedures
to help control pain do exist. It is important to learn about
these, as well as other treatments like physical or occupational
therapy, massage, and counseling, which are essential. Good
pain control improves focus on work, enjoyment of relationships,
and participation in social activities.
Be as organized as possible before
you visit your provider. Document your pain symptoms in terms
of how is it affecting
quality of life. For example, what is your pain preventing
you from doing that you were able to do before? What time of
day is your pain the worst? How would you describe your pain – stabbing,
dull ache, throbbing, prickly? List the medications you are
currently taking, including over-the-counter and herbal supplements.
Write down questions you’d like to ask. Hand a copy to
the doctor and keep a copy for yourself. Bring someone with
your who can take notes.
Keep a file containing information about every medical visit.
Giving the same information to all providers ensures better
treatment. Your health care provider bases the intervention
and diagnosis on the information provided, so having a
file on your care will be very helpful.
Give medications or treatments appropriate
time to work, but if the pain is not adequately managed ask
for other options.
Many pain sufferers feel once a pain pill is prescribed that’s
all that can be done. There are many pain medications and non-pharmacological
options to try. It can be a process to find what works best.
It’s possible to manage most pain. It may not clear completely,
but it can be manageable. Addiction rarely occurs when pain
medicine is prescribed for a medical condition. If you have
concerns about side effects, speak up. If side effects do develop,
many can be managed.
(Contrbuted by the Missouri Pain Initiative Public Education Committee and Rebecca Rengo-Kocher, MSW, LCSW)
Get Support
The American Pain Foundation’s offers an online pain support community that you can access.
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