The American Chronic Pain Association

Have you ever heard of the American Chronic Pain Association? They have a great website with lots of resources for those of you who are dealing with chronic pain on any level. Whether you are a caregiver, a patient, or a family member, there is something here for you! Click the link if you'd like to have a look.

I particularly like a video on this site that gets to the very heart of what I am trying to convey about pain management in my blog. The video is entitled "A Car With Four Flat Tires" and you can watch it by clicking this link. If you choose not to view the video, here is a short synopsis:

Living with chronic pain is like having a car with four flat tires...and that makes it really difficult to go forward. Taking medication for chronic pain (any medication) is akin to putting air in one of the tires. But what about the other three tires? You can "inflate" those tires by adding complementary forms of treatment to fill the other three tires. These treatments will vary person to person, depending on the unique situation of each individual.

Filling the tires with air is the responsibility of the car owner. You wouldn't take a car back to the dealership for a flat tire, so why would you repeatedly go back to the doctor/ car dealership for this problem when it's your responsibility to maintain your car/condition?

Sources: American Chronic Pain Association; Wikipedia

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Everyday pain management ideas

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