Everyday pain management ideas

DISCOVERY CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY “PAIN MATTERS” CHRONICLES THE BURDENS OF LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN Loved Ones Provide Significant Support, But Many Still Struggle with Pain’s Invisibility, New Survey Finds North Wales, Pa., November 4, 2013 – There are 100 million American adults who live with chronic pain – more than cancer, diabetes and heart disease combined. A new documentary titled “Pain Matters,” airing Nov. 16 on the Discovery Channel, explores the realities of chronic pain through the eyes of individuals who live with it, as well as the perspective from leading national experts in pain management. The film features a range of stories of people living with chronic pain including a U.S. Navy veteran and a two-time Stanley Cup-winning hockey player. “Pain Matters” chronicles their individual challenges in managing their condition, including validation of their pain due to the difficulty in objectively measuring it and working with healthcare professional

Fibromyalgia Fibromyositis ; Fibrositis Last reviewed: February 2, 2012. Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, depression, and anxiety. Causes, incidence, and risk factors The cause is unknown. Possible causes or triggers of fibromyalgia include: Physical or emotional trauma Abnormal pain response - areas in the brain that are responsible for pain may react differently in fibromyalgia patients Sleep disturbances Infection, such as a virus, although none has been identified Fibromyalgia is most common among women aged 20 to 50. The following conditions may be seen with fibromyalgia or mimic its symptoms: Chronic neck or back pain Chronic fatigue syndrome Depression Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid ) Lyme disease Sleep disorders

Today's post is an article from "Life Script" written by a physician. In her column, Bridget Carey, MD discusses depression associated with neuropathic pain, and what you can do about it. The article is in part devoted to meditation, which is another non drug pain management idea! Click photo to go to the column...

Today's post is about the topic of palliative care.  Palliative care is a subspecialty in the  broader field of pain management, and its main purpose is to focus on quality of life rather than prolongation of life.  This type of care is mainly when patients and their families are going through serious illness.  Many people think that palliative care end-of life care, but in truth it can be of use at any point in time during a serious illness. Typically palliative care practices involve a care team which can include physicians, social workers, spiritual care, nurses, counselors, etc.  The team approach can help patients with many kinds of needs during their course of care.  Some examples of palliative care include: --spiritual care or counseling for the patient and/or family --wigs for patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy --pain management needs (medication and non drug measures) --needs for home health equipment -- placement in a care setting that is appropria