Chronic Pain Today

According to a new NIH study, about 40% of Americans are now turning to alternative forms of treatment for their chronic pain. This of course comes as no surprise to me as when traditional medicine failed me (Thinking instead of what I actually suffer from that I was suffering from a vicodin deficiency) I turned to alternative treatments. Now after months of chiropractic care and from accupressure I am feeling tremendously better. I still have bad days and there is still the lack of planning because I don’t know what I will be like from day to day, but my outlook is much better.

Why this new turnaround?? Why are we now embracing eastern practices and non western ways after decades of calling it quackery?? The NIH sums it up as this: “many people feel alternative medicine may work better for them than typical medical approaches, with fewer bad side effects.”

See more at : NIH

Tomorrow I go to the chiro again, I see him every monday now. It can’t come too soon.

Ever since Saturday I’ve had a headache that will not go away, a jaw ache, and a neck/upper back ache. I’m completely compressed feeling and it’s like the upper half of my body is having a tooth ache. I need a total workup: The adjustment, the pressure point therapy, and this cool soft tissue work he does by scraping a metal spoon like thing over my tense muscles to unravel them.

I had planned to bring you a post on pressure point therapy and what it is, what it does, and how it helps. A really good multi part thing, that you dear readers would have loved I’m sure. But right now I’m doing good to string a sentence together and its just not going to happen. Perhaps Tuesday if it all gets worked out tomorrow.

Until then, stay health, keep your chin up, and remember, we’re all in this together.

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Many of us in a chronic pain condition that go to a pain specialist here about different meds for different pains. Some of us are on one pain med for the day to day pain and one for breakthrough pain. According to one source 86% of us experience breakthrough pain at one time or another. Most breakthrough pain (called BTP now) is not going to be dealt with taking your normal day to day dose of pain medication.

Especially if you aren’t even on pain meds. Some of us in a chronic pain condition, for one reason or another, decide to forgo taking pain meds. For me, I take nothing for my chronic pain condition but a single dose of Elavil at night to try to sleep and have a little of the pain subside. I have such a low tolerance for medicine in general that it isn’t worth it to me to take more medicine. For BTP I will double up on my other therapies on the bad times, an extra chiro visit, another go around of yoga. And some times just an extra meditation session.

No matter how you deal with it, BTP is a real issue for most of us. How do you deal with yours??

Chronic pain and clinical trials have a relationship. Most people who live with day to day pain are always searching for that one drug, that one pill, that single shot that could make the day a bit more bearable. If you are like that, then you know that clinical trials can hold the key to a treatment option, especially if your current pain management system isn’t effective.

There are several new clinical trials that are in the process of recruiting or soon to be recruiting, if you are interested please take a look at them here: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Chronic%20Pain and see if you qualify for any. There are many good things that can come out of doing this, whether its just information or quite possibly a saving grace.

Good luck on your search.

Would you like to know where you can turn to find helpful information on chronic pain?? There is several organizations designed for people who live with the day to day struggle of chronic pain and its hindrances. Whether you have back pain, fibro, RA, or any of the chronic pain conditions that are widespread among America, these are the people that will help you find good solid information.