How to describe pain to your health practitioner
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Dull. Sharp. Aching. Gnawing. Stinging. Nagging. Throbbing. Pounding. Shooting. Stabbing. We have a lot of words to describe pain. Use them when talking to your health practitioners.
Other tips to maximize your appointments:
- Onset: When did the pain start?
- Location: Where does it hurt?
- Duration: When you have pain, how long does it last?
- Characteristics: Descriptive words.
- Aggravating factors: What makes your pain worse?
- Relieving factors: What makes your pain better?
- Temporal factors: How does your pain vary during the day?
- Severity: How would you describe the intensity of your pain on a 0-10 scale?
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An array of services under one roof
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| Rehabilitation helps those trying to recover from an injury, manage a chronic condition or illness, and more. Certainly, the motivations for seeking rehab are as varied as the available treatments, and, quite often, the best course of action involves a combination of therapies. Yet very few outpatient rehabilitation centers offer a sufficient range of treatment options.
Adkore is a different kind of outpatient rehabilitation center. Adkore centers serve the diverse needs of clients by providing a wide array of rehabilitation services all under one roof:
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Chiropractic
- Pilates
- Acupuncture
- Decompression
Be sure to visit Adkore for all your rehabilitation needs.
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The consequences of untreated pain
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Haven't had the time or inclination to get treatment for your pain? Read on. You may want to make calling for that appointment a higher priority.
In fact, untreated or inadequately treated pain is among the greatest medical problems in our society . . . and can lead to harmful side effects.
One Gallup survey found that 89% of Americans suffer from regular pain at least once a month, with 15% reporting that they are in severe pain. 27% said they had missed work in the past year due to pain, while 60% believe that pain is just something you have to live with. The study found that as people get older, they are more likely to suffer from frequent or chronic pain.
Research also indicated that women have a higher prevalence of chronic pain syndromes and diseases associated with chronic pain than men.
So, what are the potential consequences of untreated pain? Here is a partial list:
- Sadness, anxiety, or depression
- Irritability
- Sexual dysfunction
- Disruptions in sleeping, eating, and mobility
- Lack of concentration and mental clarity
- Impaired immune function
- Skin ulcers
- Incontinence
- Poor appetite and weight loss
Proper treatment can help people return to their lives. Medications can help. But so can non-drug treatments, including acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, and chiropractic treatment.
In the past decade, strong evidence has been accumulated regarding the benefits of alternative therapies for treating pain. Acupuncture may be useful as a treatment for pain-related conditions including headaches, low back pain, menstrual cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and myfascial pain. Chiropractic treatment is the most common non-surgical treatment for back pain, and massage is being increasingly used by people suffering from pain, mostly to manage chronic back and neck problems.
Depending on the type of pain, an interdisciplinary approach is often useful. Treating pain at the onset is more effective than waiting until it worsens. And, pain management after surgery is also vital.
Total pain relief is desirable, but sometimes reducing pain to a tolerable level is more realistic.
What are some barriers to good pain management? Some people don't tell their doctors they have pain because they want to be "good patients". Others may not want to bother their doctors with complaints. Or, they may have a fear of what the pain means--does it mean my ailment is getting worse? Do any of these describe you?
Offering acupuncture, massage, and more, Adkore Rehabilitation is all about pain relief. If you're suffering, make calling us at 407-328-7595 your top priority today.
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| Fibromyalgia sufferers: Find relief at Adkore |
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Fibromyalgia is a common and complex pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally, and socially. Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.
Becoming educated about fibromyalgia gives patients more potential for improvement.
An empathetic health practitioner who is knowledgeable about the treatment of fibromyalgia and who will listen to and work with the patient is an important component of treatment. Conventional medical intervention may be only part of a potential treatment program. Alternative treatments, nutrition, relaxation techniques, and exercise also play an important role in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Alternative, complimentary therapies include physical therapy, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, and more.
Adkore staff can create a customized program to help fibromyalgia patients treat their symptoms.
Don't live another day with the pain. Call Adkore at 407-328-7595 now.
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