Chronic pain affects the lives of more than 76 million Americans – more than cancer, diabetes and heart disease COMBINED. Even though many people live with pain, 49% of Americans believe pain is just a part of life. Taking the time to answer these questions can give you a frame of comparison about whether the level of pain you are experiencing is within the normal range Are YOU one of the 76 million Americans living with pain? Take this short quiz to find out:
Quiz:
1. Has your pain lasted thrree months or longer?
If your pain lasts three months or more, it may be chronic pain. Chronic pain lasts longer than doctors would reasonably expect after an illness or injury has healed. In fact, pain signals may continue to fire in the nervous system for months or even years. Chronic pain can stem from low back problems, arthritis, headaches, fibromyalgia, and nervous system disorders, as well as other causes. Some scientist believe that chronic pain itself represents an illness, which can be made worse by both the environment and emotions.
2. Does pain cause you to feel depressed, anxious, angry, or fatigued?
Chronic pain strikes many areas of life, including your emotions. Left untreated, constant pain can leave you feeling depressed, anxious, angry, and frustrated. You may also have a sense of fatigue, lowered motivation, and reduced libido.
3. Does being in pain hurt your relationships with family and friends?
If you have a broken arm, people will sympathize. But that's not always true with an "invisible" condition like chronic pain. Often, people with chronic pain withdraw socially because they feel alone and misunderstood. They may decline invitations, and their pain-related problems can strain family relationships and damage careers.
4. Do you limit your activities because of pain?
If you avoid certain activities because of pain, you may lose mobility, flexibility, and strength. As a result, even minor activities can prompt pain. People with chronic pain often have trouble with daily activities and become dependent on others.
5. Does pain affect your appetite?
In some cases, chronic pain can cause poor appetite, often as a symptom of depression.
6. Does pain keep you awake at night?
About two-thirds of people with chronic pain report getting poor sleep. Pain and insomnia are linked. While sharp pain can rouse you from slumber, even mild pain can cause several "microarousals" that leave you feeling tired when you wake up. Also, some pain drugs can disrupt sleep.
7. Do you use alcohol or other pharmaceutical approaches to cope with pain or sleeplessness?
Some people use alcohol to cope with chronic pain or help them fall asleep. But alcohol shouldn't be used with pain medicines. Also, alcohol is not a good sleep aid -- it actually disrupts sleep. Talk to your health care provider if you are using or feel like using alcohol to self-medicate. Your health care provider can offer safer treatment options.
8. Have you discussed your pain with your doctor?
If chronic pain interferes with your quality of life, consider talking to Dr Nygaard about whether the services of Atlas Family Chiropractic could be an answer that you are seeking. We offer light force chiropractic adjustments, advanced on site physiotherapy, in office and home exercise programs as well as advanced spinal disc decompression for disc related pain and symptoms.
NOTE ABOUT ANSWERS: If you answered “yes” to three or more of the questions above the level of pain you are experiencing is out of the “normal” range, and the pain symptoms are interfering with your life. At Atlas Family Chiropractic, we provide state of the art diagnostics to find the exact cause of your symptoms and work to address the cause of the problem, without the use of unnecessary, drugs, medication or costly and often unsuccessful surgery.
Dr Nygaard never charges for consultations, which are designed to determine if you are a candidate for our pain relief treatments.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us and get started today!