Final draft/ Paper #3

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.