Chronic pain is not the pain you feel when you cut your finger — a short, sharp shock. It’s pain that persists, often even when you sleep.
If you suffer from chronic pain, the way you manage it can mean the difference between a life fully lived and one that is endured. This article can help you assess ways to help further reduce your pain and feel more in charge of your life.
Chronic pain can be deceptive, luring you into feeling helpless about your condition. Yet most people with chronic pain can manage their pain and lessen it to tolerable levels, regardless of the cause.
Take Charge and Make a Plan It’s easy to feel like giving up if you’ve tried several treatments that haven’t worked. But are you getting the help you deserve? If not, taking a proactive approach to managing pain can help you feel more in control.
Find a doctor who will take you and your pain seriously. Not all doctors have been trained to treat pain. Look for a doctor who will work with you to identify the cause of pain and treat it aggressively. It is vital to clearly communicate with your doctor about how well treatment is working.
Action Step: If I don’t feel that I am getting adequate help with my pain, I will tell my doctor. If necessary, I will ask to see a pain specialist.
Develop a pain-management plan with your doctor. This plan may include what medications to take, when to take them, possible side effects and how to avoid them. It should also include nonmedical treatments, such as meditation and exercise. Work with your doctor to adjust your plan as needed. Remember that you will get the best results by following your management plan.
Action Step: I will create a pain-management plan with my doctor and review it as needed.
Learn all you can about your condition. Whether you have arthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia or migraines, the more you know about your condition, the better you can help direct your treatment.
Action Step: I will ask my doctor to recommend books, health brochures or reputable Web sites for more information about my condition. I will also look at the resources listed at the end of this article.
Keep a pain diary and track your pain triggers, the severity of pain and how pain affects your daily life. Rate pain using a scale of 1 to 10. Bring your diary to the doctor to help track how well you are managing pain.
Action Step: I will track my pain using a pain scale and pain diary.
Overcome Medication Concerns Certain types of medication, such as narcotic pain relievers and some antidepressants, can be vital for treating some types of pain. Consider these facts:
If you are in pain, don’t wait to start treatment. Pain that is allowed to continue can get worse and become harder to treat over time. Take your medication as directed as soon as the pain starts. Use relaxation techniques or other nondrug therapies to help reduce tension and anxiety.
Action Step: For one week, I will follow my pain-management plan as soon as I feel pain and make note of how quickly I get the pain under control.
Taking a narcotic medication under a doctor’s care to help manage pain will not make you an addict. Narcotic pain medications, such as morphine and codeine, are very effective for treating pain and rarely cause addiction when used properly. Addiction usually doesn’t occur in people who don’t already have a history of substance abuse. Narcotic medications can have unpleasant side effects, such as constipation. However, most side effects can be managed with your doctor’s help.
Action Step: I will tell my doctor about any concerns I have about pain medication and work with my doctor to minimize side effects.
Used in addition to medication, non-drug therapies can be helpful in reducing pain. These include acupuncture, massage, applying heat and cold, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy and biofeedback. Try a few different techniques and see which works best for you.
Action Step: I will try one nondrug therapy this month in addition to my regular pain-management plan.
Heal Your Mind and Body You may have moments when you feel overwhelmed by the stress of dealing with your condition. Taking care of your mental health as well as your physical health can help lessen hopeless feelings and alleviate stress.
Stay active and involved. When you are in pain, it is all too easy to isolate yourself. Staying in touch with friends is important because it wards off isolation and depression. Exercise is important because it can help you stay strong and distract you from pain. Make exercise part of your daily routine — even gentle exercise can help.
Action Step: I will make a list of friends I can call or meet with every week. I will exercise every day.
Remember, depression is common among people with chronic pain. If you think that you may be depressed, see a mental health professional. Treating depression and anxiety can help reduce the effect pain has on your life.
Action Step: I will call my doctor if I think I am depressed.
Think of each of these suggestions as an opportunity to lessen your pain. Take a systematic approach. Try things one at a time to find out what works best for you.
A National Health Problem More than 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, yet much of it goes untreated or undertreated in part because of lack of doctor education and unnecessary concerns about narcotic pain medication use. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has created new pain-management standards to help ensure that people in pain are treated effectively. It’s important to know that you have the right to have your pain taken seriously and treated adequately.
For more information on how to get help, try these resources:
Chronic pain is not the pain you feel when you cut your finger — a short, sharp shock. It’s pain that persists, often even when you sleep.