Chronic pain is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States, and it doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves. The American Chiropractic Association reports that up to 90% of Americans suffer from some kind of back pain. In fact, back pain is the primary cause of disability of persons under 45 years old. And that just takes into account back pain. Other ailments, such as complex regional pain syndrome, lumbar spinal stenosis, neck pain, occipital neuralgia, phantom limb pain, post-laminectomy syndrome, post-surgical pain, post-surgical pain, and sciatica (among others), are just as serious and afflict millions of Americans. Chronic pain conditions like these afflict more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer put together, and Americans spend roughly $86 billion a year in treating and coping with neck and back pain.
For patients who suffer from one or more of these medical conditions, however, there are solutions. Pain management therapy is an effective, clinically-proven way to treat chronic pain conditions. Neuromodulation, for example, is a procedure in which neurons are electronically or chemically stimulated to release neurotransmitters advantageous to pain regulation. Another common treatment, epidural steroid injections, target back pain by injecting steroids into the spine in order to treat inflammation and provide anaesthetic. Nerve blocks involve injecting chemicals that block pain receptors and neurotransmitters, providing relief by making pain quite literally unrecognizable to the brain.
In addition to these traditional treatments, therapeutic and alternative medical options such as acupuncture and massages have also been proven effective (though, as with any alternative medicine, treatment and results should be closely monitored by a doctor). In particular, chiropractors specialize in back pain and spinal conditions.
However one goes about pain management, the important thing is to have chronic pain treated. Otherwise, the chronic pain can put stress on your body that is neither desirable nor healthy.
