Why do I have pain and what can I do about it? Chronic pain is one of most common complaints seen by primary care doctors today. It affects all age groups, and most people will experience at least one episode of lasting pain in their lifetime. Chronic pain currently affects an estimated 100 million Americans, more than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined. Although pain is one of the largest costs to our medical system, we, unfortunately, have few effective, conventionally available options for symptom relief. The good news, however, is that our understanding of the origins of pain is growing rapidly in recent years, and novel new therapies to effectively manage pain without drugs or surgery are emerging.
Dr. Faith Christensen is specially trained in non-pharmaceutical pain management. Schedule an appointment today to learn about why you have pain and simple interventions that can help you control it.
Following is an overview of some of the techniques Dr Christensen uses most commonly to address pain: The most foundational treatment for any patient with pain is educating patients about why they have pain. When you start to understand why you have pain and the mechanisms your body uses to produce it, you will have the power to take back control of your pain, your activities, and your life. Manual therapies performed in the office are another highly effective method for decreasing pain, improving everyday function and mobility, and decreasing healing time. Because pain influences so many aspects of our lives, patients with chronic pain often experience anxiety, depression, or other mood changes. Pain often forces us to change or limit our work, to give up the hobbies we enjoys, or modify our daily activities; this can lead to feelings of isolation, discouragement, or loss of control. Not only may these feelings decrease your quality of life, but they have actually been shown to make your pain worse! By addressing pain of the body and mind in concert, we can stop this vicious cycle of chronic pain and mood depression. Finally, as part of our whole-person approach to health care, Dr. Christensen will assess all aspects of your health that may be contributing to your pain or inhibiting proper healing. Depending on your individual need, nutritional and herbal supplements may be helpful to moderate pain levels and decrease healing time.