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. 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 – however you will acquire a great deal of knowledge pertaining
to the types of medications that are out there, and their long term effects.
According to an article about patient facts on painmed.org [nearly half a
million emergency room visits occurred - due to the misuse of pain medications
in 2009]. 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
guilty. 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. When you do things you enjoy – you are more likely to feel satisfied,
and less likely to become depressed –which in turn 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 that 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.
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