Chronic Pain... No More! An Integrated Approach Does the Trick by Dr. Mark Wiley

As far back as 1996, the journal Health & Social Work reported that even then 77 million Americans suffer from chronic pain annually. And according to a recent study by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), more than 130 million Americans suffer from chronic pain today. That amounts to nearly a 100% increase in sufferers in less than a decade! We're not getting worse, not better!

Here's the Stats
The American Pain Foundation ( www.painfoundation.org)   has broken down the latest chronic pain statistics in the United States.

Arthritis --1 in 6 Americans suffers from arthritis. 26 million of those are women.

Back Pain -- It's the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. Over 26 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 64 experience frequent back pain, and two thirds of American adults will have back pain during their lifetime.

Cancer -- An estimated 70% of those with cancer experience significant pain during their illness, yet fewer than half receive adequate treatment for their pain.

Headache -- Over 25 million Americans suffer from migraines. 9 out of 10 Americans have non-migraine headaches each year.

Impact/Trauma -- 1 in 3 American adults lose more than 20 hours of sleep each month due to pain. Pain costs an estimated $100 billion each year. Lost workdays due to pain add up to over 50 million a year.

TMJ/TMD   -- 20 million Americans experience jaw and lower facial pain each year.

Fibromyalgia -- Close to 4 million Americans (mostly women) suffer from fibromyalgia, a complex condition involving widespread pain and other symptoms.

Toward the End -- Fully half of all hospitalized patients have moderate to severe pain in their last days of life.

And there's more...

The AOTA also reports that "pain accounts for one-fourth of all sick days taken by full-time workers, costing the economy 50 billion lost work days and $3 billion in lost wages."

More specifically, health experts estimate that 80% of adult Americans will suffer from chronic back pain at some point in their lives, costing industry more than $50 million a year in absenteeism and lost productivity. Moreover, the Mayo Clinic reports that migraine headaches affect 26 million Americans, 70% of them women.

As if that weren't enough, the journal Health & Social Work reports that chronic pain has "significant and enduring psychological effects." Pain can decrease a person's strength, coordination, independence, cause severe stress, and even lead to depression. As a chronic pain sufferer, you will miss an average of four workdays per year and also shell out some of the $4 billion spent each year on over-the-counter pain relievers!

It's the Pain That Stays
Chronic pain is persistent, long-lasting discomfort that doesn't resolve itself or respond to routine pain-relief methods. As you can see, it manifests itself in many forms.

The causes of chronic pain are exceedingly diverse. One frequent factor is the development of conditions that accompany aging and cause long-lasting and severe bone, joint and nerve damage. Other factors include falls and accidents, toxins and dehydration, lack of sleep and poor nutrition.

According to the publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine, "Pain signals generated by special nerve endings are transmitted through the spinal chord to the brain. Because each of us has unique brain circuitry, no two people perceive pain the same way. [Thus,] doctor's can't objectively measure pain. . . . [Therefore,] the root cause of some chronic pain can't be identified."

And while pain-relieving drugs (analgesics) are a mainstay of chronic-pain management, the New England Journal of Medicine cautions against their side effects. "Long-term use of prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can adversely affect a person's digestive tract, liver, and kidneys." Not to mention being put at a greater risk of cardiovascular (heart) problems and possible gastrointestinal (stomach and intestine) issues.

As a result, pain clinics across the country advocate the first step in many cases is to taper patients off their dependence on painkillers. Concurrently, many chronic pain sufferers are turning to alternative therapies, and are now able to gain some control over their pain by practicing mind/body methods.

But these methods, in and of themselves, are not enough. It is only an Integrated Mind-Body Approach that can ease the suffering and move you toward a cure. Such an approach encompasses:

Lifestyle Modifications -- Regulating eating and sleeping times and patterns; not indulging in excessive consumption of alcohol, recreational drugs or sex; fitting exercise (at least walking) into your daily schedule.

Activities in Daily Living -- Maintaining a proper posture while standing, sleeping, sitting; not clenching the phone between your ear and shoulder; taking a break from the computer every hour or so to refresh.

Dietary Considerations -- Neither eating too much nor too little; eating 3 regular or 6 smaller meals, evenly spaced throughout the day; Refraining from the so-called "empty calories", such as refined white sugar, white rice, white bread, soda, coffee; be sure

Breathing Fully -- Being sure that you don't limit your oxygen intake to only the top third of your lungs; taking time every hour for at least 30 seconds of deep inhalations and exhalations.

Relaxing the Body -- Whatever you need to do to release stress and induce the relaxation response to ease strain in muscles and nerves; Suggestions include yoga, qigong, meditation, saunas, long walks in nature.

Exercise -- It is so important to move blood, remove toxins, improve strength and muscle tone, and keep the mind alert. Brisk walking is the best exercise for many chronic pain sufferers because the impact is low.