Chronic pain affects the lives of more than 76 million Americans – more than cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined. So many people live with pain that 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 of feeling you should be experiencing day-to-day.
Are YOU one of the 76 million Americans living with pain? Take this short quiz to find out:
Quiz:
1. Has your pain lasted three 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 many other causes. Some scientists believe that chronic pain itself represents an illness, which can be made worse by your environment and your emotions.
2. Does pain cause you to feel depressed, anxious, angry, or fatigued?
While emotions can cause stress and pain, they may also be a result of chronic pain. 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. Are you feeling effects such as these from the pain you're living with?
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. Because sleep is so important for our health and functioning, disrupted sleep on a regular basis over time can cause a general fatigue and irritability - as well as many health issues.
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 to 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. It is important to diagnose and treat the root of your pain, rather than continue to self-medicate to manage the pain and mask the symptoms.
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 help relieve your pain and enhance your quality of life. We offer light force chiropractic adjustments, advanced onsite physiotherapy, and in-office and home exercise programs. We also provide advanced spinal disc decompression to help heal disc-related conditions (and their resulting symptoms) that may be causing you pain.
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. We address the root cause of the problem to work toward healing it and to bring you to your optimal health ...without the use of unnecessary, drugs, medication, or costly and often unsuccessful surgery. You deserve to feel good!
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!