83% of Floridians Still Living With Pain
April 12, 2012
83%!
A recent survey found that 83% of Floridians live with pain. Shockingly,
The AOA survey shows that 83% of people in Florida say they, or someone they care for, have experienced pain in the past month. And pain sufferers in Florida are not alone. More than 76 million Americans in the United States live with pain every day[1] — affecting more people than cancer, diabetes and heart disease combined.
There is no question that pain is a difficult condition to treat. Frequently, the treatment approach has to be customized according to the underlying cause, the patient’s overall health and physical condition, and so forth. Thus, there is no one-size-fit-all approach when it comes to pain.
Regardless, here are a few suggestions:
1. Remember that pain is our body’s “signal” to us that something is wrong. Getting a handle on the underlying problem can go a long way towards developing a plan to deal with both the underlying issue and the pain it is causing.
2. Topical analgesics, like BioFreeze and Sombra can help, but it can depend on the underlying condition. So lower back pain may respond better to a Salonpas Patch, but not to a Sombra roll on. It just depends.
3. Pain location is just as important. Back and neck pain may have very similar causes, but their treatment can be quite different. For example, neck support pillows can help with neck pain, while knee elevator or leg pillows can take the stress off the lower back. Pillows are also nice because they are, of course, drug free! Then there are issues, like sciatic pain, which baffle doctors and sufferers alike.
These are but a few suggestions for helping you deal with chronic pain. There are many others, like massage, chiropractic care, and other approaches. Do your homework and develop an action plan, along with your doctor, to deal with your underlying condition and pain.
