Apparently 76 million Americans live in chronic pain. The word chronic means its not going way anytime soon. While its nice to know I am not alone, I find the results of the survey interesting.
- 48 percent of respondents don't believe that proper treatment can ease chronic pain. - Did they even talk to their doctor? My husband always says to me that the doctor can never fix his sore shoulder, etc. But then he goes to the doctor, tells him about it, and they send him for PT and voila he is fine.
- 41 percent believe pain is a normal part of aging, and 10 percent simply ignore the pain. - I'm all for ignoring pain as long as possible
- 36 percent would refuse doctor-recommended or doctor-prescribed pain medication for fear of becoming addicted. - Um, its not like you are a street junkie if you are taking your prescribed medication. If you have concerns about becoming addicted, talk to your doctor. They will help you with your concerns.
- 34 percent believe pain medications that cause side effects are worse than pain itself. - I hear this one a lot. I know people like this. Its stupid. Take the damn medication. If it doesn't work for you or if you have the side effects, you can switch to another pill.
-31 percent would not speak to a doctor about their pain for fear they could not afford treatment. - Well if you have financial issues, talk to your doctor. The first steps I was given was PT. You can learn exercises that might help you and then do them for free. Tell your doctor you can't afford a lot and see what they can suggest that is free.
- Only 18 percent would speak to a specialist if they were suffering chronic pain. - Why? Is the magic genie going to grant you three wishes to relieve your pain? What's wrong with a specialist? I see lots of specialists.
A medical doctor is a human being. They don't want you to be in pain. They will help you as much as they can. But since most do not have ESP you need to talk to them about your concerns. Don't live in pain.
Additional note: In response to a comment below, I want to add that if someone is willing to live with their pain that is one issue. But if the pain interferes with their daily life and they are stuck on one of the reasons above, that is not a good reason to live with it. But if you talk to your doctor and they tell you what your options are, it is your choice to follow them or ignore them.
Crap, am I making sense?
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