I read the following excellent article in the Arizona Daily Star written by Adina Wingate: Help available for chronic pain sufferers. According to the article many seniors suffer from chronic pain but don’t let anyone know. They accept and endure the pain and that is unfortunate.
Everyone experiences pain. It does have a useful function as a warning. If I accidentally pick up a hot pan the pain forces me to drop it before it burns my skin.
Chronic pain is something different. For example, after working on the computer for several weeks I had a terrible pain in the elbow. I’m pretty sure it was caused by the repeated clicking of the mouse. In my case I took a break from the computer. I also saw a joint specialist who checked to make sure there was no physical damage to the joint. He said it was “tennis elbow“.
When I started to work on the computer again I made sure to have my kepboard and mouse set up at the correct height and I made an effort to use keyboard shortcuts. I also strengthened my arms through exercise and I haven’t had a problem since.
The bottom line is that if you have chronic pain you need to do something about it. In most cases chronic pain is not normal.
See your doctor and let him or her know if you have chronic pain. There are programs such as Stanford University’s “Chronic Disease Self-Management Program” that can help relieve chronic pain.
I have included some resources below that have more information on pain management. One word of caution. Be careful of quacks and con artists who sell pain remedies on the Internet. Before you buy or use any pain reliever always check with your doctor.
- Pain – Medlineplus
- Chronic pain – Medlineplus
- Safely Managing Chronic Pain
- Seniors and Chronic Pain
- Back pain
- Pain relievers
- Post surgical pain treatment – adults
- Alternative medicine – pain relief
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for back pain
Here is a book that could be helpful in finding ways to manage chronic pain: