Tips for Treating Pain

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Tips for Treating Pain
An estimated 50 million Americans have chronic pain and nearly 25 million suffer acute pain each year. How to find relief.

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Newsweek
Updated: 2:01 a.m. ET Oct 8, 2006
Oct. 8, 2006 - Practice Healthy Habits
Get adequate rest, eat a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise. (Ask your doctor which exercises are safe for you.) Relaxation techniques like meditation, visualization, hypnosis, and biofeedback may also help you feel better.

Care for your Emotional Health
People in chronic pain have been found to have an increased incidence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances. Your physician may want to prescribe medication or may suggest cognitive behavioral therapy (like relaxation techniques and psychological therapy). It may also help to share your thoughts and feelings with loved ones and to join a support group. (The American Chronic Pain Association, among others, has support groups throughout the country).

Know Your Treatment Options
There are many options for treating your pain beyond prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Complementary and alternative therapies include biofeedback, meditation, relaxation techniques, yoga, acupuncture and physical therapy. There are also interventional treatments for specific types of pain (like electrical stimulation and injections). Ask your doctor which is best for you.

See a Pain Specialist
You can ask for a referral from your primary care physician. Many professional physician organization web sites also have listings of their members available (see the links below).
Source: The American Pain Foundation

Other helpful links:
American Academy of Pain Medicine
American Academy of Pain Management
American Academy of Neurology
American Board of Pain Medicine
American Medical Association
American Pain Society
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
American Chronic Pain Association

© 2006 Newsweek, Inc.