InteliHealth Controlling Pain.htm

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A headache's one thing. The pain associated with cancer, arthritis, back and neck disorders, or nerve damage – that's something else entirely. That pain is so intense it has been known to destroy marriages and careers, and even lead to suicide. Yet, even though there are ways to alleviate suffering, some recent evidence suggests pain isn’t always controlled as aggressively as it can be. A January 1999 survey conducted by the American Pain Society found that 40 percent of people who said they suffered moderate to severe pain described their pain as out of control. "Many Americans with chronic pain are suffering too much for too long and need more aggressive treatment," says Portenoy, M.D., president of the American Pain Society and chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "Although not everyone can be helped, it is very likely that most of these patients could benefit if provided with state-of-the-art therapies and improved access to pain specialists." Staats, M.D., director and chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at s Hopkins University, agrees. "There's no need to see Dr. Kevorkian," he says. "The fact is, we can control most of the suffering." In the following coverage of chronic pain in America, we give you both sides of the story: expert advice from a top pain specialist, plus a look into the lives of people who live with severe pain on a daily basis. Two women, one in New Hampshire and the other in California, learn that finding the right doctor is more than half the battle. Staats, M.D., believes there's a powerful connection between a person's emotional state and the amount of pain he or she experiences. He uses his knowledge of this connection and a grab bag of medical treatments to manage pain. Last updated January 31, 2000Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.

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