The Doctor is In: Living well with chronic pain

Posted by Crozer Keystone Staff on January 11, 2012

When you see your primary care provider
for an annual checkup, be sure to mention any pain you may be having in your
back, your knees or hips, your hands, legs or feet, or any other part of your
body. You could be experiencing chronic pain, which is pain that lingers beyond
the healing of an injury or recovery from surgery. Chronic pain has numerous
causes – from the wear and tear of daily living (osteoarthritis), to sports or
work-related injuries, accidents, complications of diabetes or cardiovascular
disease, cancer, neurological disorders, and more.

The American
Pain Foundation reports that pain associated with chronic health conditions
“affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.”
Chronic pain can persist for months or even years, and it usually worsens over
time if not treated, making it difficult to get around from day to day, go to
work, or enjoy hobbies and leisure activities. In addition to causing physical
problems, chronic pain can affect your emotional well-being and even your
relationships with others.

Doctors usually evaluate a person’s pain
using a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most severe. In making a
diagnosis and developing a treatment plan, your doctor may ask you to begin
keeping a personal pain diary. The diary helps you track when you hurt, what
you were doing when the pain came on, where you felt the pain, how long it
lasted, and what you did to cope with the pain. You also may be asked to
describe the pain using terms such as stabbing, shooting, numbing, sharp,
tingling, and so on.

For many causes of chronic pain,
treatment usually involves prescription or over-the-counter medications to
relive pain symptoms or treat underlying medical conditions such as arthritis,
headaches, or fibromyalgia. Your doctor also may recommend changes in your diet
or sleep habits to help you feel better, or an exercise program to help your
body regain strength, flexibility and mobility. Some people may benefit from a
consultation with a pain management specialist if conservative treatments do
not provide relief.

To help start a discussion about chronic
pain with your doctor, the American Pain Foundation has published Explain
Your Pain, a helpful self-assessment tool, as well as a self-assessment
tool for fibromyalgia,
a common cause of chronic pain in women. In addition, the American Academy of
Family Physicians has published some questions
to ask your doctor about chronic pain. And the Arthritis Foundation’s
website offers tips
for managing arthritis-related pain.

* Joshua Feinberg, D.O., is a family medicine physician in practice at
the Crozer Health Pavilion, 145 Brinton Lake Road, Suite
201, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-459-1619

About Crozer Keystone Staff

Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425