Punching 5 Chronic Pain Myths Right In The Nose

Several myths about chronic pain are prevalent in today’s society. If we who know better do not speak out against these, it appears to give credence to some of these arguments. We have decided to therefore address several of these misconceptions and punch these myths squarely in the nose.

Myth #1:  Chronic pain is a natural part of getting older.

While we are at risk for degenerative issues as we age, pain is not a natural part of the aging process. Pain should not be natural at any age. Chronic pain gets reported in the young, middle aged and elderly. But the good news is that a host of treatment options are available to mitigate these symptoms.

Myth #2:  If you have chronic pain, you should avoid exercising.

Research has shown that exercise can be quite effective in reducing chronic pain symptoms. Inactivity can result in muscles and bones becoming weaker. It can also cause weight gain, as well as induce depression and anxiety. You do not want to overdo it, but light to moderate exercise can reduce stress, improve blood flow to muscles and release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.

Myth #3:  Medication is the only thing that helps.

Chronic pain cannot be treated the same as acute pain. While medication can certainly assist in the treatment of chronic pain, it is not the sole answer. The body tends to build up tolerance to medication over time making it less effective. We have found with the opiate epidemic that gradually escalating doses is not the answer, and in the long run simply puts the patient at greater risk. Other options need to be coupled with medication management for chronic pain to be effectively treated.

Myth #4:  You need to learn to live with pain and just tough it out.

Pain is the body’s way of letting you know that something is wrong. Ignoring those messages and attempting to tough it out is not wise. When you seek medical attention for your chronic pain, you allow the pain experts to identify and treat the source of your pain and put you on the road to pain relief.

Myth #5:  Taking pain medication for chronic pain will turn you into a drug addict.

While it is true that pain medications are highly addictive, it certainly does not mean that all who need them will eventually become addicted. When opioids are given by a pain specialist intensive monitoring occurs. Risk assessments are performed as well as regular urine drug screening and office visits to monitor for signs of addiction, thus minimizing the risk of becoming addicted.

Those of us here at ASAP want you to know that just because we threw a few well-placed jabs in the face of these chronic pain myths, we are in no way encouraging violence to solve problems. If you are suffering from chronic pain issues, please come in or call us at Advanced Spine and Pain, where you are never down for the count.