Chronic Pain Today

With today’s growth in the supplement world, more terms are getting used that you may not understand. Do you know the difference between an extract and a tincture? Between enriched and fortified? Below are 10 herbal supplement words that you need to know.

Antioxidant - a substance that can lessen damage or prevent the damage to cells that is caused by oxidation. Antioxidants are the vitamins E, C, and beta carotene.

IU - International Unit - this unit measures a vitamin’s activity. Only 3 vitamins have this measurement: A, D, and E.

Mg- milligram - This is a unit of measurement that means 1/1000 of a gram.

Mcg- microgram- This is a unit of measurement that means 1/1000 of a milligram.

Enriched - Where a product loses nutrients via the cooking process or preparation and have them added back to the final product.

Fortified - Where a product has had nutrients added that would normally be miniscule or nonexistent in the original product.

Extract - A concentration of an herb, liquid or otherwise, that is added to water or alcohol.

Tincture - A liquid concentration of an herb that is added to alcohol. A Weaker extract.

RDA - The recommended daily allowance- The amount needed of a vitamin or mineral to meet the minimum daily needs of a person.

UL - Upper Limit - The highest amount of a vitamin or mineral that you can take before toxicity range.

Vitamins, herbs, and minerals are all coming into the public eye as being an easier form of treatment in today’s side-effect laced western medicine market. However, they are not as regulated and tested as the FDA was put in place to test man-made drugs. Care should be taken and a physician should be informed whenever you take new supplements.

The McGill Pain Questionnaire was established by Ronald Melzack to be a research tool from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It helps patients define their pain more clearly; something that chronic pain sufferers sometimes say is hard to do.

To use the questionnaire, circle the words that describe your pain but do not circle more than one word in a group. Then when you have that done, go back and circle the three words in groups 1-10 that most convey your pain response. Pick the two words in groups 11-15 that do the same thing. Then pick one word in group 16. Finally, pick 1 word in groups 17-20. At the end you should have seven words that you can take to your doctor that will help describe both the quality of your pain and the intensity of it.

Group 1
Flickering, Pulsing, Quivering, Throbbing, Beating, Pounding

Group 2
Jumping, Flashing, Shooting

Group 3
Pricking, Boring, Drilling, Stabbing

Group 4
Sharp, Gritting, Lacerating

Group 5
Pinching, Pressing, Gnawing, Cramping, Crushing

Group 6
Tugging, Pulling, Wrenching

Group 7
Hot, Burning, Scalding, Searing

Group 8
Tingling, Itching, Smarting, Stinging

Group 9
Dull, Sore, Hurting, Aching, Heavy

Group 10
Tender, Taunt, Rasping, Splitting

Group 11
Tiring, Exhausting

Group 12
Sickening, Suffocating

Group 13
Fearful, Frightful, Terrifying

Group 14
Punishing, Grueling, Cruel, Vicious, Killing

Group 15
Wretched, Binding

Group 16
Annoying, Troublesome, Miserable, Intense, Unbearable

Group 17
Spreading, Radiating, Penetrating, Piercing

Group 18
Tight, Numb, Squeezing, Drawing, Tearing

Group 19
Cool, Cold, Freezing

Group 20
Nagging, Nauseating, Agonizing, Dreadful, Torturing

Takeda Patient Assistance Program

Company
Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.

Contact Information
Takeda Patient Assistance Program
c/o SDS - PAP - TAK Customer Service
PO Box 66552
St. Louis, MO 63166
1-(800) 830-9159 (phone)
1-(800) 497-0928 (fax)

Physician requests should be directed to:
Takeda Patient Assistance Program
c/o SDS - PAP - TAK Customer Service
PO Box 66552
1-(800) 830-9159 (phone)

Resources:

Takeda PAP Spanish Application

Takeda Patient Assistance Program Application

Click here to visit the program’s web site.

Eligibility:
For more information, please contact the program using the information above.

Other Information:
For ACTOS, Puerto Rico residents please contact the program at 800-830-9159

Product(s) covered by program:
ACTOplus met®
ACTOS®
AMITIZA®
duetact®
Rozerem™