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8 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
Seekhelp
when youhurt
CHRONIC PAIN IS TOUGH TO TREAT, BUT IT CAN BE MANAGED
WE’RE HUMANS,
and sometimes we hurt.
Pain is a natural, healthy part of being alive. Without it, we
might not notice a very serious injury. With it, we instinctively
back away from a fire after a burn or rest our aching backs after
lifting something too heavy.
Most of us experience pain only fleetingly or for a limited
period of time. This is known as acute pain. It can feel intense,
but the pain does go away with treatment.
Many people, though, must cope with another kind of
pain—a type that continues, sometimes for months or even
years, and is not easy to treat.
It’s called chronic pain, and at least 100 million Americans—
about 1 in 3—have it. That’s more than the number of people
with diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer combined.
A portrait of pain
Chronic pain is a stubborn condition:
•
It’s hard to diagnose.
There are no specific tests to mea-
sure how bad the pain is or exactly where it’s coming from.
Even people with the same injury or condition can experience
enormous differences in pain.
•
It’s hard to treat.
One hallmark of chronic pain is that it is
resistant to most medical treatments.
•
It’s hard to handle.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that long-term,
unrelenting pain can also take a toll on a person’s mental
and emotional well-being. It’s not unusual for someone with
chronic pain to feel anxious or depressed. That can make treat-
ment more complicated.
Why someone hurts
“Chronic pain may result from an injury, such as a back sprain,”
said integrative medicine physician John Mansberger, MD.
Dr. Mansberger said chronic pain may also be triggered by
one or more conditions or diseases, such as arthritis, cancer,
endometriosis, fibromyalgia, infections, inflammatory bowel
disease, migraines and nerve damage.
“Sometimes, however, the cause of someone’s pain
simply can’t be found or is related to multiple factors,” said
Dr. Mansberger.
What makes it better?
Chronic pain can be challenging, but it can be managed. “It often
takes time and patience to find the right treatment or combina-
tion of treatments that are most effective at reducing how bad the
pain feels and how often it happens,” said Dr. Mansberger.
Those treatments may include:
•
Medication.
Prescription or over-the-counter drugs are
common pain relievers.
•
Physical therapy.
A physical therapist can devise an
individualized program that can help ease pain. Among other
things, the program may include exercise, massage and heat
treatments. Our center offers the specialized focus of manual
techniques such as joint mobilization and manipulation in
addition to massage, exercise, ultrasound and heat.
•
Complementary and integrative medicine.
This de-
scribes a range of treatments, such as acupuncture, spine or
joint mobilization, relaxing techniques, an anti-inflammatory
diet, and dietary supplements.
Life goes on
Chronic pain usually can’t be cured. But with the right treat-
ment plan, it can be controlled and the person living with it
can function and enjoy life.
John Mansberger, MD, offers acupuncture, along with a number of
other complementary therapies and treatments that have proven
to help patients manage chronic pain.