WOW! THERE'S A NEWSFLASH

Really?

I never would have thought.....

According to the National Institute of Health people in pain use more health resources than people who are not in pain.

Ya think?

Approximately 23 million people catagorized their pain as a level 3 or 4. For the basis of this survey a one was the least severe and least bothersome and the highest was a level for for the most severe and most persistent. It was interesting that women were the most likely to report pain.

So what does this do?

I don't think the sheer volume of people reporting severe pain was expected and maybe, just maybe, they will want to evaluate what can be done for chronic, severe pain patients. The research also wants to look at complementary procedures, such as yoga and massage, that may help pain as well. 

It's clear that shoving strong pain medication to patients isn't an answer. Neither is denying pain medication. It's clear that a different approach is needed. Personally, I think that finding out how a person processes medications is key. Everyone metabolizes medications differently so how can you know how a medication will affect your body unless you test for it?  Part of the problem is I think part of the problem is that most of these people live their lives in an educational bubble. Sometimes I wonder if the people who research chronic pain and Fibromyalgia have ever been in chronic pain. I love reading articles by Ph.D's that feel if chronic pain sufferers would stop thinking about their pain, then they might not experience as much of it.

It's called pain catastrophizing.

It means just what it sounds like and what it implies is also just what it sounds like.

I'm back to central sensitization. People with Fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to it's pain signals. It's not what happens, it seems to be how it happens. Why they're stuck on cognitive behavioral therapy and trying to blame pain amplification on "catastrophizing" is beyond me. It's almost as if they can't find the on/off switch in our brains so they don't bother.  I really want one of these guys to experience chronic pain and then tell me that if we think good thoughts it will get better.

I've always said that attitude helps us get through very tough and painful times. It helps for a lot of things but it doesn't take away the pain. It is purely a coping strategy. That's all it is. There are affective dysfunctions, central nervous system abnormalities and cognitive dysfunctions. 

Even after all the research the treatments for Fibromyalgia include: Reduce stress, get sleep, exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Boy, I can't tell you how much that advice helps me. Isn't that what we should be doing in the first place?

And I don't buy any of it.

So what to do?

I think they need to recognize the legitimacy of pain.

23 million people are not catastrophizing.

They are in pain.

And something needs to be done.