Help for Chronic pain From AARP Great Article I have read it.

[Guest guest]

a good aticle from AARP On dealing with chronic pain I have read it

in the magazine and will check out the website later on.

Heidi

Illustration by Gianpaolo Pagni

Drug-Free Remedies for Chronic Pain

By Loolwa Khazzoom, January & February 2009

Scientists don't always know why these alternative therapies make the

hurting stop. But a growing body of evidence suggests they work

Do You Suffer From Chronic Pain? Join Our Discussion in the AARP

Online Community

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In the early 1980s Toussaint was a promising young dancer,

close to snagging a role in the hit TV series Fame. But then she tore

a hamstring in ballet class. Usually such tears heal on their own,

but in Toussaint's case the injury led to the development of complex

regional pain syndrome—a little-understood disease characterized by

chronic pain that spreads throughout the body and can be so

excruciating that even the touch of clothing hurts.

" It felt like I had been doused with gasoline and lit on fire, "

recalls Toussaint, now 48, who was a student at the University of

California, Irvine. " I can't imagine surviving something more

devastating. "

Toussaint had become one of the many Americans suffering from chronic

pain—as many as 76 million, according to the American Pain Foundation—

who are dealing with everything from arthritis to cancer. And like

many pain patients, she struggled to convince doctors her symptoms

were real. Toussaint says she was refused X-rays, misdiagnosed, and

dismissed as crazy. " One doctor patted me on the head,

saying, `You're making a mountain out of a molehill, darling. You

need to see a psychologist,' " she recalls. Meanwhile her disease—

often reversible if treated early—only got worse.

Online Extra...

Resources for Advocacy and Information

When you're in pain, don't go it alone. These online professional,

holistic, and support groups can help

Academy for Guided Imagery This association provides referrals to

practitioners of and resources about this visualizing technique.

American Academy of Pain Management You can find specialists,

accredited programs, and information on pain management on the

website of this interdisciplinary nonprofit group, which

assists " clinicians who treat people with pain through education,

setting standards of care, and advocacy " ; the site offers a directory

of specialists, a list of accredited programs, and information on

coping with pain.

American Academy of Pain Medicine A medical association, it focuses

on education, advocacy, and research to promote the best care for

patients; it helps locate specialists in your area and provides

general information about pain (847-375-4731).

American Chronic Pain Association Do you want to join or start a

support group? The ACPA has plenty of them in the United States, as

well as Canada, Great Britain, and other countries (800-533-3231).

American Holistic Health Association This nonprofit serves as " a

neutral clearing house " for pain patients, providing guidance through

the maze of conventional and alternative medicine. Resources on its

website include self-help tools; free health-book catalogs; and

health-related books, CDs, and DVDs (714-779-6152).

American Pain Society A multidisciplinary organization for practicing

physicians and other scientific professionals, APS also offers

resources and publications for pain sufferers (847-375-4715).

ChronicBabe This website is primarily targeted to young women with

chronic illnesses, but its articles and resources are relevant to

anyone with chronic pain.

For Grace Toussaint's nonprofit works to ensure the ethical

and equal treatment of women in chronic pain, through self-

empowerment, public awareness, health-care-practitioner education,

and legislative advocacy.

The Healing Mind This center offers articles, books, CDs, and public

workshops on mind/body medicine treatments for numerous health

conditions; the website features a blog by Rossman, M.D., and

other health experts.

National Pain Foundation Pain sufferers and their families can find a

wide range of resources regarding treatment options, as well as peer-

reviewed information; representatives are available to answer

questions three days a week by e-mail, and the website offers

physician referrals and an online support community.

—Ron and Loolwa Khazzoom

Bedridden and folded up in a fetal position, she was unable to brush

her hair, shower, or use the bathroom unaided. She teetered on the

verge of suicide. Finally, after 15 years, a switch in medical plans

introduced her to doctors who believed her. But by that point, the

pain medications they prescribed could not reverse her condition.

Worse, the drugs left her with a slew of side effects.

Toussaint wanted to try physical therapy for pelvic pain, and a

movement therapy called Feldenkrais, ideas her doctor initially

dismissed. " He rolled his eyes and said, `It'll never help,' " she

remembers. Ultimately, however, the move led her into the world of

alternative therapies—and saved Toussaint's life.

When she first began working with a physical therapist, Toussaint was

so sensitive that the slightest touch caused her intense pain. So the

therapist, sitting at Toussaint's bedside, used guided imagery, a

deep-relaxation method scientifically proven to reduce pain levels.

In guided imagery, a therapist helps a patient imagine herself in a

calming place. Many patients visualize going to the beach or the

mountains. Toussaint conjured up a make-believe ballet class, where

week after week the therapist followed Toussaint's verbal cues to

guide her through elaborate combinations that she " danced " in her

head.

Her body quickly began unfolding. Within one month of starting the

three-times-a-week guided-imagery sessions, she could sit up, walk

around her condominium, and shower without help. Perhaps most

significantly, she was able to receive hands-on physical therapy,

which further reduced her pain. She later cofounded For Grace, a

nonprofit that helps women with chronic pain.

How is it possible that simply by engaging her imagination, Toussaint

began healing her pain? New advances in neuroscience shed light on

the process, says Rossman, M.D., author of Guided Imagery for

Self-Healing (New World Library, 2000). " While acute pain appears in

areas of the brain that are connected to tissue damage, chronic pain

lives in other areas of the brain—the prefrontal cortex and limbic

system, which the brain uses for memories, especially emotional

ones, " Rossman says. In some cases " the pain lives on long past the

time when the body tissues have healed. "

Repeated thoughts and emotions create nerve pathways in the brain.

Chronic pain impulses travel along well-worn pathways. By using

techniques such as guided imagery to build new nerve pathways, " the

pain pathways can become less active, " Rossman says.

Guided imagery and Feldenkrais, the therapies that helped Toussaint,

are only two out of more than a dozen alternative therapies that have

been scientifically documented to ease chronic pain when drugs can't.

And they frequently can't, says Dillard, M.D., D.C., coauthor

of The Chronic Pain Solution (Bantam, 2003). " Even if we prescribe

medication as well as we can, on average we are still only going to

take away between 50 and 60 percent of your pain. "

This is not to say that drugs have no place in pain treatment.

Experts agree that medication is a necessary and sometimes lifesaving

part of the pain-management equation. " People need to function in

their lives, " says Simon, M.D., cofounder, CEO, and medical

director of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad,

California. " There's clearly a role for appropriate pharmaceuticals. "

The latest trend, says Stanos, D.O., medical director of the

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Center for Pain Management, is to

take a more comprehensive approach to treating chronic pain, a " bio-

psycho-social approach. " The " bio, " or biological, part means

treating the physical or underlying pathology—and, where possible,

its root cause. The " psycho, " or psychological, part addresses the

depression, fear, and anxiety that can accompany and even exacerbate

the experience of chronic pain. The " social " part pertains to a

patient's ability to function, work, sustain friendships, and

maintain status in society.

If a clinician ignores any of the biological, psychological, or

social impacts of chronic pain, Stanos says, " it may become a

struggle to successfully treat patients. "

Very few doctors have specialized training in pain management. In

fact, only 3 percent of U.S. medical schools offer a separate course

in it. So if you suffer from chronic pain, you're probably going to

have to become an expert yourself. " I think the person with pain

should see it as a journey, " advises Simon. " They have to be the

captain of that ship. "

That proposition can feel daunting enough when you're well and

helping a family member through a difficult diagnosis. But when you

are the one in pain, managing your case yourself may be an

overwhelming challenge. That's why Pat Aardrup, senior vice

president of the National Pain Foundation, recommends enlisting a

friend or family member as an advocate—someone who can help research

treatment options and interview both conventional and alternative

health care practitioners.

Make sure the practitioners you find are willing to work together.

When everybody shares information, you're more likely to get the most

accurate diagnosis and best care. Curing the root cause may resolve

the problem—as in the case of Lyme disease. But " assuming that you

have a disorder for which there's no easy medical fix, " advises

Simon, " begin a process of trying to relieve yourself of that pain,

starting with the most noninvasive and then gradually working your

way into more invasive approaches. " If a therapy doesn't offer relief

within a few weeks, experts say, try something else.

When choosing therapies to try, " it's important to think critically, "

says journalist a Kamen, who wrote All in My Head (Da Capo Press,

2006), about her quest for relief from chronic daily headache. " There

is so much desperation that makes us vulnerable as chronic-pain

patients. " Be wary of anyone who promises to cure any problem, she

says. Also, understand any risks before you participate. And

remember, you can quit at any time—even in the middle of a session—if

something doesn't feel right.

Check out the chart below to learn about alternative therapies that

have been shown to help relieve chronic pain. Informing yourself

could be your first step on the path to a pain-free life.

Loolwa Khazzoom, who created the Dancing with Pain method of pain

management, blogs about natural pain relief at

www.dancingwithpain.com.

[Guest guest]

This article is very interesting, Heidi. Toussaint's story is one of

courage, and hope. Alternative Therapies show great promise in helping

to alleviate, and heal 'chronic pain'. Thanks for the article. hugs

Carlene

In dominie , " heidi " <heidilhlokey@...> wrote:

>

> a good aticle from AARP On dealing with chronic pain I have read it

> in the magazine and will check out the website later on.

> Heidi

>

>

>

> Illustration by Gianpaolo Pagni

>

> Drug-Free Remedies for Chronic Pain

>

>

> By Loolwa Khazzoom, January & February 2009

>

>

> Scientists don't always know why these alternative therapies make the

> hurting stop. But a growing body of evidence suggests they work

>

>

> Check out the chart below to learn about alternative therapies that

> have been shown to help relieve chronic pain. Informing yourself

> could be your first step on the path to a pain-free life.

>

> Loolwa Khazzoom, who created the Dancing with Pain method of pain

> management, blogs about natural pain relief at

> www.dancingwithpain.com.

>