Are You Still In Chronic Pain?

HAS YOUR DOCTOR MISSED SOMETHING?

I offer four virtual services for pain and chronic stress. Please check out my Services Page for more details.

How come nobody knows what’s wrong with me?

What is a waste of your time, and why?

No one understands chronic pain, why is this?

Are you still in chronic pain? Do you have questions like these? I do, too. For the last 30 years, I’ve have spent endless hours researching and talking with people about the topic of pain. I have found answers and resources that work for me and can work for you.

I’ll review your treatment options for everyday aches and pains as well as your specific chronic pain issues.

Doctors are often confused by chronic pain

Did my doctor miss something?

I’ll explore how doctors often overlook common problems such as trigger points. Trigger points are a poorly understood condition, often confused with muscle strain or fatigue. Trigger points can also be a significant issue in low back pain, iliotibial band syndrome, chronic pain and other challenging issues such as frozen shoulder.

I’ll explain my view of why you are in pain and make sure you understand the solutions I suggest.

As I continue to post articles, I will add more pain-related topics as I go.

What works? What is most useful for persistent pains and injuries?

I’ll review what I consider your best treatment options and point out things that I have found don’t work. I’ll discuss the various treatment methods that may work best for you. These may include physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and orthopedic surgery, as well as lesser-known treatments for pain such as neurofeedback.

I will share with you many self-help tips, including self-massage, specific exercises, and specific nutritional advice that can put the power of healing into your own hands. I’ll also explore new electronic gizmos such as electric stimulators (ex: TENS), meditation apps, and deep tissue muscle massage.

 

Why do I hurt? Understand the source of the problem

We all want to know why we hurt. I’ll explore answers to the puzzle of pain and show its relationship to many things that may not seem to be connected. For instance, did you know that chronic pain can relate to insomnia, childhood abuse, or even autoimmune disease?

Stress management is a key ingredient for recovery

Sometimes the source of pain and its solutions can take a while to identify. This period of uncertainty can lead to further stress and feelings of helplessness, despair, and even guilt. When we don’t know why we hurt, it’s helpful—and possible—to learn how to accept the current situation as it is rather than causing more pain through our frustration and judgment.

Viewing your pain condition from a different perspective than self-blame can lead to a road map for a successful, long-lasting recovery. Mindfulness practices are one of the best ways to address this issue. I’ll explore several proven methods for using mindfulness to help you get through this tough time.

There are many persistent myths about the cause of pain

There are many misconceptions about what causes pain. For example, for years, it was thought that proper lifting techniques are crucial to protect against low back pain. [1] (1) Nolan D, O’Sullivan K, Stephenson J, O’Sullivan P, Lucock M. What do physiotherapists and manual handling advisors consider the safest lifting posture, and do back beliefs influence their choice? Musculoskelet Sci Pract. February 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29078081 (accessed January 22, 2020)

Healthcare providers were also taught that creating perfect symmetry in the body was essential for pain relief and proper function. [2] (2) Eyal Lederman. The fall of the postural–structural–biomechanical model in manual and physical therapies: Exemplified by lower back pain.CPDO Online Journal [website]. March 2010.http://www.cpdo.net/Lederman_The_fall_of_the_postural-structural-biomechanical_model.pdf (accessed January 23, 2020)  Both of these guidelines are less important than we initially thought.

Look for many more myth busters in my articles.

Stay tuned for my in-depth articles that explore the origins and fixes to many common issues concerning both acute and chronic pain. I’ll be posting regularly and look forward to your comments and feedback.

If you would like to know more about a specific pain issue, please send me a request through email, social media, or as a comment after one of my articles.

 

Articles

Notes

Notes
(Back to text)1  (1) Nolan D, O’Sullivan K, Stephenson J, O’Sullivan P, Lucock M. What do physiotherapists and manual handling advisors consider the safest lifting posture, and do back beliefs influence their choice? Musculoskelet Sci Pract. February 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29078081 (accessed January 22, 2020)
(Back to text)2  (2) Eyal Lederman. The fall of the postural–structural–biomechanical model in manual and physical therapies: Exemplified by lower back pain.CPDO Online Journal [website]. March 2010.http://www.cpdo.net/Lederman_The_fall_of_the_postural-structural-biomechanical_model.pdf (accessed January 23, 2020)
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