Living With Chronic Pain
WHAT IS CHRONIC PAIN?
More than 85 million Americans experience chronic pain. It usually begins with an illness or injury and continues at least 1 month past the usual recovery period. It may also continue for many months or even years. The pain may be constant or sporadic. This experience can have a very negative impact on a person’s quality of life and often affects the patient’s family. It can be financially costly, since it forces the patient to lose time from work and be less productive, as well as increases medical expenses. Caring for a patient with chronic pain is often a frustrating experience for the patient’s physician and caregivers.
When pain becomes chronic, it is important that patients learn ways to manage it so that they suffer less. The most useful pain management techniques focus on helping patients increase their control over the experience and include physical, emotional, intellectual, and social components.
HOW TO COPE WITH CHRONIC PAIN
The following guidelines will help a person with chronic pain manage his/her condition and improve the quality of his/her life.
- Learn from the experts. Anyone who faces months or years of chronic pain should actively seek out people who know how to help them. Many people have experience in this area and can provide understanding, support, and skills.
- Pay attention to your feelings. This is a powerful experience for which you can expect to have a wide range of feelings. None of your feelings are bad or inappropriate; it is important to recognize and accept whatever you are feeling. Find a trusted person (a friend or a therapist) to talk to about the experience and be completely honest.
- Take care of your relationships. The experience of chronic pain causes changes in social, work, and family relationships. Pay attention to the ways things are changing, and encourage those who are close to you to be open with you. Talking openly and acknowledging the experience is always better than ignoring the impact it has on your relationships.
- Explore your thoughts and attitudes. Although the pain is a physical experience, people who experience it say that their attitude toward it can make it better or worse.
- Learn relaxation techniques. You will feel better if you can release the tension in your body. Using relaxation and positive visualization techniques can help maintain your focus on things that you can control.
- Be active. Resist the temptation to lie down and give in to the pain. Develop your body’s flexibility and strength. Doing so will make you feel more powerful and in control of the experience.
- Set goals for all life areas. These goals can be physical, spiritual, work, relationship, or recreation. Keep track of your progress. As you expand your focus to life areas beyond your chronic pain, you will begin to feel more positive about your life.
- Don’t isolate yourself. Look for a support group or start one yourself. Sharing your experiences and feelings with others who are also in chronic pain strengthens everyone involved.
- Share your knowledge with others.
- Once you have learned to manage your own situation, look for ways to reach out to others who also suffer from chronic pain. Helping others is often the best way to feel better ourselves.
- Develop a treatment program involving several disciplines. Most likely, no single approach to pain management will be sufficient. Your individualized program may include several of the following: individual or family counseling, a support group, pain management education for you and your family, physical or occupational therapy, biofeedback, and relaxation, stress management, or assertiveness training.
COPING SKILLS
The American Chronic Pain Association advises developing the following skills to help you manage chronic pain:
- Learn to distract yourself from thinking about your physical pain, and focus on the positive aspects of your life. Doing so is difficult but important for your recovery.
- Concentrate on what you can do. You have many abilities and strengths. Make a list if you need to remind yourself.
- Acknowledge your feelings about your experience of chronic pain and how it has impacted your life. You don’t have to hide them. Set aside a specific time to talk about them with a friend, therapist, or support group.
- With your doctor’s approval, each day ease your pain by doing mild stretching exercises.
- Be assertive. Give yourself permission to ask questions, to state your needs, and to disagree and say no.
- Expect others to treat you respectfully.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Remember that you do not have to apologize for yourself or explain your situation to anyone.
WHERE CAN I GO FOR MORE INFORMATION?
The American Chronic Pain Association (theacpa.org).
American Pain Society (ampainsoc.org).
Dannemiller Memorial Educational Foundation (pain.com).
Chronic Pain Information (chiropractorratings.com).
Partners Against Pain (partnersagainstpain.com).