In the modern era of pain management, it has become of utmost importance to pinpoint the source of pain. This really offers someone who is experiencing pain the best hope of a speedy, permanent resolution to their discomfort. If pain medications are ordered, they may be effective, but will only cover up the pain instead of fixing it.
This process can be very frustrating. It's not unusual for someone to have pain but no source can be identified. But it's really better to be relentless in the search. Here's a story that sort of illustrates my point:
Mrs. A. is a healthy woman in her later 50s. She lives in the country and raises chickens...she always has fresh eggs on hand! She has never smoked and does not really consume alcohol too often. She is a regular exerciser and loves to garden. She has been happily married for almost forty years. One day Mrs. A. notices some shoulder pain so she visits her local ER. The physician there tells her that she probably pulled a muscle and advises her to take over the counter pain medication for relief.
After a week or two, Mrs. A. notices that the pain in her shoulder is really no better so she decides to seek medical help once again. After extensive medical testing she is told that she has bone cancer and it has progressed to the point where there is really no hope for her. Over the next weeks to months, Mrs. A.'s condition worsens and she ultimately dies from this dreaded disease.
Sadly, this not an usual course of medical treatment. Wouldn't it be smarter to find the source of the pain at the onset rather than just throw pills at it? Maybe Mrs. A. would still be alive if that path were chosen. And maybe many of the people we know who suffer from chronic pain could become pain free sooner. It's obvious that we have many lessons to learn about pain and suffering, isn't it?
Image Source: Wikimedia
This process can be very frustrating. It's not unusual for someone to have pain but no source can be identified. But it's really better to be relentless in the search. Here's a story that sort of illustrates my point:
Mrs. A. is a healthy woman in her later 50s. She lives in the country and raises chickens...she always has fresh eggs on hand! She has never smoked and does not really consume alcohol too often. She is a regular exerciser and loves to garden. She has been happily married for almost forty years. One day Mrs. A. notices some shoulder pain so she visits her local ER. The physician there tells her that she probably pulled a muscle and advises her to take over the counter pain medication for relief.
After a week or two, Mrs. A. notices that the pain in her shoulder is really no better so she decides to seek medical help once again. After extensive medical testing she is told that she has bone cancer and it has progressed to the point where there is really no hope for her. Over the next weeks to months, Mrs. A.'s condition worsens and she ultimately dies from this dreaded disease.
Sadly, this not an usual course of medical treatment. Wouldn't it be smarter to find the source of the pain at the onset rather than just throw pills at it? Maybe Mrs. A. would still be alive if that path were chosen. And maybe many of the people we know who suffer from chronic pain could become pain free sooner. It's obvious that we have many lessons to learn about pain and suffering, isn't it?
Image Source: Wikimedia
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