Living With Chronic Pain
Friday, February 25, 2011 at 12:50PM Are You Living with Chronic Pain
Walking up stairs, bending over, reaching for an item on the top shelf—many
of us don’t think twice about these small everyday tasks, but for some they
are big hurdles.
For people living with chronic pain, the ordinary can cause extraordinary
suffering and daily life can become a struggle. Even visiting friends or going
to dinner can create anxiety, as the prospect of steep stairs or pain-inducing
activities seems daunting or risky. While millions of Canadians live with
chronic pain—with over 18 per cent suffering from severe chronic pain—most
cases remain under-treated and much of society uneducated about the facts.
If you are grappling with chronic pain or know of someone who is, there are
ways to minimize its impact on both physical and emotional health.
What is Chronic Pain?
According to the Chronic Pain Association of Canada, chronic pain has the
following characteristics:
• Lasts at least three months, past the point of healed injury
• Intermittent (follows a pattern) or persistent (lasting more than 12
hours daily)
• Usually results from a known cause, such as surgery, arthritis or
osteoarthritis
• Can be caused by abnormal processing of pain by the nervous system
If you have chronic pain, there are many non-medicinal and medicinal
treatment options that may help you manage the pain.
Non-Medicinal Options
Massage/Triggerpoint. Visiting a professional massage/Triggerpoint practitioner or having a friend or
partner massage you at times when you feel anxious or before the usual
times when pain is the worst can provide some relief.
As a practitioner in Triggerpoint Body Work and a member of The Canadian Pain Association Of Canada I understand and see what pain can do to a person. Triggerpoint Body Work, can it be what you're looking for to help with your Pain?