Blog - Medical Info - TriState Pain

Conditions Most Commonly Seen in American Adults

By Erica Jacques – Medically reviewed by Jenny Sweigard, MD on April 13, 2020

Chronic pain is commonly defined as any pain that lasts more than 12 weeks. Whereas, acute pain is the normal sensation which alerts us to an injury or illness, chronic pain is one that persists, often for months or even longer.

Chronic pain is estimated to affect 20 percent of U.S, adults. It can be caused by a musculoskeletal injury (involving the bones, muscles or joints), nervous system dysfunction, chronic diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

Learn about some of the most common causes affecting American adults today below.

CHRONIC BACK PAIN

According to research... Read more

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Chronic pain, especially severe pain, can have an enormous impact on our emotional health. Research has shown that people with pain are significantly more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Remember that you are not atypical, oversensitive, or weak for experiencing emotional distress because of pain. These are normal, reasonable responses to physical suffering and its associated limitations.

Unfortunately, despite the widely recognized psychosocial effects of pain, caring for mental health often takes a backseat to treating physical symptoms. But stress levels exacerbate chronic pain, and chronic pain exacerbates stress levels. This does not mean the pain is “all in your head.” It simply means... Read more

TREATMENT

Each person with pain is entirely unique; a treatment that works well for one individual may cause a negative reaction for someone else. People with pain often go through a long process of trial and error to identify what works best for them. While it is easy to get frustrated when a certain therapy option doesn’t work, don’t give up. Most likely, something else will help—you just have to keep looking.

Once you receive a chronic pain diagnosis or have lived with pain for more than three months, it’s a good idea to get connected with a pain specialist. While clinicians in specialties like neurology and orthopedics may be able to offer some pain management options, it’s important to have someone on your team who is an expert in... Read more

SELF-MANAGEMENT

In conjunction with traditional pain management, there are, a number of self-management strategies that can help reduce pain levels and improve your quality of life. Don’t underestimate your ability to have an impact on your health and pain levels!

Here are some areas where lifestyle changes can help improve pain:

1. Activity modification 2. Exercise 3. Diet and nutrition 4. Sleep hygiene 5. Stress reduction

ACTIVITY MODIFICATION

Restricting or modifying your activities may seem obvious, but it can be difficult to adjust when you’re used to being able to do certain things a certain way. It can take many years of trial and error to identify your body’s limitations and specific triggers for pain, and then to... Read more

FOUR WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TELEMEDICINE APPOINTMENT

April 13, 2020 By: Janet Jay With the explosion of COVID-19 and widespread social isolating, many people are using telemedicine appointments for the first time. “Telemedicine” may sound intimidating, but really, it simply means conducting your appointment over the phone or an online videoconferencing service. Whether you’re directly looking for a telemedicine appointment or have been offered one as a substitute for an in-person consultation, you should contact your insurance company to make sure they cover it and if there are any out-of-pocket costs.

1. PREPARE IN ADVANCE

Telemedicine appointments sometimes seem to go faster than they would in person—without travel, time in the waiting room, and interactions with nurses... Read more

COVID-19 Magnifies Stress on Caregivers Posted July 31, 2020

By Stu Smith

Over the past few months, the American public has been provided a great deal of scientific and medical information relative to COVID-19. We have learned from the nation’s best scientific minds that for the overwhelming majority of the general population, this disease presents a minimal threat to health and well being. The vast majority of healthy individuals, when infected with COVID-19 appear to experience physical symptoms, not unlike mild flu or a common cold. On the other hand, this virus can produce painful and debilitating symptoms when contracted by the elderly or those with underlying conditions. In fact, this virus has proven lethal for many in these vulnerable categories. Clearly, those suffering from... Read more