You Don’t Have to Live with Chronic Pain
An article was recently published on CBC News talking about chronic pain. In the article, Dr. Pat Morley-Forster, the medical director of the pain management program at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, On, stated that about one in five Canadians will experience chronic pain in their lifetime. As a chiropractor, this statistic upsets me. In my 18 years of practice, I have helped thousands of people overcome chronic pain. Why then, are there still so many people living in agony each and every day?
The article defines chronic pain as pain lasting longer than 3 months (the amount of time it usually takes for an injury to heal). The source of chronic pain differs from case to case. Sufferers may experience it in the form of headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, etc. According to the article those most affected by chronic pain are individuals over the age of 65, particularly women. The article then went on to cite statistics gathered by Statistics Canada in 1996/1997 and 2005. According to the surveys conducted by Stats Can, roughly 27 per cent of seniors living at home and up to 38 per cent of those living in health-care institutions have chronic pain. Another survey, the 1996/1997 National Population Health Survey found that chronic pain interfered, was also cited. This survey found that 64 per cent of seniors living in intuitions reported that chronic pain interfered with most of their activities. While the activities of 54 per cent of seniors living at home were also interfered with. Unfortunately, those suffering with chronic pain are out of luck. Why? “Morley-Forster says Canadian doctors have difficulty treating patients with chronic pain because of a lack of national standards and because doctors tend to look at chronic pain as a secondary problem.”
Manage Chronic Pain without Medication
It’s upsetting to know that 1 in 5 Canadians have been lead to believe that there is nothing they can do for their chronic pain. When the truth is, there is something they can do that will reduce and potentially eliminate the pain: Chiropractic Care. Many medical doctors are unaware of the benefits of chiropractic, so when a person goes to them complaining about chronic neck pain or low back pain they often use the only tool they have, medication. Unfortunately, drugs don’t solve the problem, they only mask it. Oftentimes people don’t realize that chiropractic care goes beyond pain relief and can increase one’s overall health and well-being. Insomnia, decreased energy, foggy brain, digestive issues and chronic fatigue are often symptoms associated with chronic pain. A chiropractor is trained to locate areas of spinal misalignments (subluxations) in the spine which are often the cause of acute and chronic pain. Taking in consideration that the spine covers the nervous system and controls every cell, tissues and organ in the body it just makes sense to make sure subluxations are detected and corrected. A decrease in pain can be achieved with a healthier spine and nervous system.
Are you part of the one in five people experiencing chronic pain? You may not have to be. You can reclaim your life, and start doing the things you’ve been missing out on. Contact a chiropractor today, you have everything to gain! Our clinic loves helping the people of the Ottawa area regain their health and thrive again!
Share this blog if you know someone who lives with chronic pain. Help may be just around the corner!
References
1 in 5 Canadians Struggle with Chronic Pain