Heather Mews
English 101
Professor: Begert
5/31/2014
Embracing a Pain Rehabilitation Program
It is estimated that nearly 1.5
billion people worldwide – suffer from some form of chronic pain. Chances are –
you know somebody that is going through this - or you may be suffering
yourself. Most people - try to hide their physical pain - due to the shame of
losing their independence – often times isolating the ones that are closest to
them. Pain is likely to be recognized in the form of anger, anxiety, and most
of all depression. Chronic pain not only affects the person suffering from it,
but it affects our loved ones as well. The most common practice for treatment
of pain - are prescribed opioids – or medications such as, methadone,
oxycodone, etc., because they are fast, and relatively cheap - however the long
term affects that these medications might have on you, and your loved ones just
aren’t worth it. This is where the introduction of pain rehabilitation comes
in. Although some might be reserved about a pain program – consider doing a
little research before you form an opinion. In his blog post How I Learned to Program Computers,
Feross Aboukhadiejeh states, “It doesn’t take super human ability.” It just takes
a willingness to want to learn, and to move forward -so keep an open mind. You
may just decide it is worth a shot.
A pain rehabilitation program
generally tends to be made up on the principles of both traditional, and
nontraditional forms of education. You will spend a certain amount of time in a
classroom setting – which is where they will teach you about the biology of
pain, and how it affects you, mentally, and physically. They will also teach
you about the effects that different forms of treatment can have on you – this
will help to aide in the decisions you make regarding your treatment - in the
future. You might feel that you already have enough information on pain, and
you just don’t want to waste your time in a classroom learning a bunch of psycho
babble – or as Mike Rose states in his web article, I Just Wanna Be Average, you may want to “escape quickly while
seemingly at least half alert.” Most
people would probably support your feelings, but it is recommended that you
stay alert, because you will acquire a great deal of knowledge pertaining to
the types of medications that are out there, and their long term effects.You will learn about pain, and depression - how they almost always
link together, and the effects it can have on your loved ones. Believe it or
not – your loved ones can be just as torn as you are, because they don’t understand
where the anger, and depression might be coming from – leading them to feel
like they are the cause of your emotional outbursts. Along with daily sessions
in the classroom - you will also be expected to participate in several other
more hands on learning activities – designed specifically to meet your needs,
and your goals.
In these hands on sessions, you
will be assigned a physical therapist, who will design an exercise regimen that
you will perform daily. They will adjust it as you progress toward your goal,
and will oversee your progress to make sure you are doing the exercises
correctly – so you don’t further injure yourself. They will also see to it that
the program is meeting your expectations – working right alongside of you
throughout the whole process. Unfortunately most are misinformed, and believe
that you are just given the tasks, and then tossed aside - although it may be
the case in some situations – odds are that you will either really bond with
your therapist, or you will want them to leave you alone, because they are up
your tail nonstop. The same goes along
with occupational therapy. It is likely- that you will perform a series of tasks
that you would normally do in your everyday routine. The therapist will assess
your postures, movements, etc. – possibly videotaping you, so they can study your
movements closely, and design a program to help you perform these tasks easily,
and in a manner that will be less painful – or less likely to make your injury
worse. They can also help you come up with alternative ways to play the sports
that you love, or the hobbies that you enjoy. You might be surprised at how
important it is that you continue to do things that are considered
entertainment, but it is actually a huge part of keeping your mental well being
healthy. Marie F. Hassett, Ph.D. states in her article What Makes a Good Teacher, “You can’t be good in a generic sense;
you have to be good for something.” In other words - when you do things you
enjoy – you are more likely to feel satisfied, and less likely to become
depressed. Depression only amplifies
your pain – as the receptors in your brain for pain, and depression are very
similar, and feed off of each other. Along with your physical therapy, and
occupational therapy – you will also be introduced to several different forms
of meditation, and stretching techniques. These techniques will provide you
with a variety of options for natural pain reduction – some of them might include
- Tai Chi, breathing exercises, yoga, etc. – stretching helps to keep your body
mobile – which actually will reduce your pain. During the process of your
active rehabilitation – you will also be assigned a personal psychiatrist, a personal
physician, and a vocational counselor.
You
might think that there is no reason for you to speak to a shrink, but most pain
patients suffer from some form of depression – due to loss of independence,
lack of sleep, and loss of energy. The shrink is there - not only to help you
with these things, but they are also there to help you process what you are
learning in the program, and whether or not it is helping you. Talk therapy is
a great way to relieve some of the ongoing stressors that have formed due to
your pain. Your physician will be there
to check on your physical abilities, and to make sure you are progressing in a
positive direction – not making your injury worse – as some tend to get to
excited in the beginning, or stray toward old habits that make the pain flare
up. The vocational counselor is there to help steer you toward a new job goal
that will be feasible with your type of injury. For most – being able to work,
and provide for their family is extremely important – so knowing that there are
other options out there – even with your injury – can be very enlightening.
Over all – for most pain
patients – a pain rehabilitation program might sound a little intimidating at first
and you may be a little reserved about trying a more hands on, and less
traditional form of treatment – such as medications, surgery, etc., but the
long term affects that these medications could have on you, your health, and
your family - just aren’t worth the
risk. Living a more active life, and being able to do the things you love, in
some form – will be far more rewarding. You owe it to yourself to live the best
life possible – as we are only given one life. Rose, Mike. "I just
wanna be average. Lives on the Boundary: A Moving Account of the Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Under
prepared. New York:
MacMillan, 1989. Web. 24 Dec. 2010.
Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. "How I learned to Program Computers." Feross.org., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 May 2014.
Hassett, Marie F. “What Makes A Good Teacher.” users.rowen.edu. Web. 2 June 2014.
Aboukhadiejeh, Feross. "How I learned to Program Computers." Feross.org., 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 May 2014.
Hassett, Marie F. “What Makes A Good Teacher.” users.rowen.edu. Web. 2 June 2014.
