This article was in the paper this month. Not sure if you saw it but just in case you did not and you are interested have a look:
You… yes you, can live Pain Free
– A three step process
As chiropractors we see patients in pain all day every day. Most of the patents who come in to see us have some kind of musculoskeletal pain: Back pain, neck pain, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain… The center of disease control (CDC) says that 80% of Americans will have back pain, they weren’t even factoring in any other kinds of pain, just back pain! So as you can imagine we see a lot of patients! Some come in, in the early stages of their painful condition and through a few treatments feel completely better and never even think of their painful condition ever again. That of course is ideal!
Many patients though come in with chronic pain, pain they may have been dealing with for months, even years, and for those the idea of living pain free can seem very far off; Impossible even. Some cannot imagine a time before they had pain. Many have no hope of ever being pain free ever again. Chronic pain can be debilitating, lead to depression and other health problems and so it’s definitely something that needs to be addressed in a big way.
The kind of musculoskeletal pain that we treat in office tends to be a warning sign that something is WRONG. We have found that treating the source of the pain instead of masking the symptoms is preferable for long term resolution and for a pain free life.
Of course the best way to remain pain free in the long term is to stop the pain before it starts, or at least catch and treat with it early, but for the patient already in chronic pain, this recommendation is less than satisfying and in my mind I can see that patient getting ready to turn the page… But wait, there’s more!
Here’s the deal, should you have musculoskeletal pain, start by getting a thorough physical examination. Go to your healthcare provider – that is, your chiropractic physician, internal medicine or primary care provider. We are all specially trained to diagnose these conditions. Even though many cases of back pain do end up being easily treated, once in a while back pain can be a sign of something serious going on inside, so check in and get checked out.
If you suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain, the good news is that most patients can live pain free just by employing a simple 3 step process. In the almost 20 years that I have been in healthcare, my experience has been that: taken together, these steps provide results. Today let’s talk about step 1:
Using physical medicine techniques to treat musculoskeletal pain.
In office we have found that physical medicine is AMAZING when it comes to stopping the pain. Let’s start with joint manipulation which as a chiropractor is obviously one of my favorites. Many patients who have never been treated in this way may be nervous because they’ve heard of chiropractors “cracking the back!” Well, I’m with you people! If someone wanted to CRACK my back, I’d be more than a little hesitant. So please let me allay your fears, nothing is cracking! What’s really happening here is the joint is being taken to the end of its natural range of motion. This helps with muscle spasms, reduces pain and improves ranges of motion. You may hear a clicking or popping sound as the gasses escape the joint, but nothing whatsoever is cracking! Other physical medicine favorites of mine include rehabilitation exercises and soft tissue manipulation (many patients think this feels more like a massage.) Then there are modalities such as heat, cold, ultrasound, cold lasers and electrical stimulation which help to reduce pain, improve muscle function and promote healing. Other devices such as durable medical equipment, braces, supports and orthotics are also tremendously helpful when used in the correct way as part of a physical medicine protocol.
Physical medicine has a lot to offer and the results continue to astonish many patients, however, I have to say that the patients who do the very best are the ones who also incorporate steps 2 and 3 in the - “Live pain free system.” Step 2 looks at lifestyle interventions, and I know what you are thinking: “Change my lifestyle? WHAT?!!! Who wants to do that? And how will that help anyway?” Well, I’m glad you asked! Why don’t we pick up there next month, same time same place and all your questions will be answered.
Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd
