Rachel Cohen's blog

30-Second Blog “Snapshot:”

• According to Consumer Reports, opioid is an epidemic in the U.S. with roughly 45 people a day (more than 16,600 people a year) dying from drug overdoses.
• Opioid pain medicine can be habit-forming, even with regular doses, so it’s important patients take what’s prescribed by their physician.
• Prescription pain medication can be safe when used properly. The physicians talk about the consequences of taking more pain medication than recommended.
  

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Taking more pain medication than prescribed or recommended can be dangerous for a number of reasons. To start, opioid dependency is a very real, life-threatening occurrence that can lead to addiction, overdose or even death.

30-Second Blog “Snapshot:”

30-Second Blog “Snapshot:"

• Living with chronic pain is tough, but it shouldn’t stop you from living a fulfilled life.
• Chronic pain sufferers may have pain so severe it stops them from working altogether, affecting both their mental and emotional wellbeing.
• Utah’s leading pain management group at Southwest Spine and Pain Center is sharing career ideas for chronic pain sufferers.
  

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The phrase, “find a career you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” couldn’t be more true for the team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center. Each SWSP pain management physician takes great pride in working for the Utah pain community and thoroughly enjoys helping those in need.

30-Second Blog “Snapshot:”

30-Second Blog “Snapshot:”

• There are different kinds of OTC pain relievers that address different pain problems.
• OTC pain medication falls into two categories: acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Below are examples of what medications to take for what pains.

The pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center provide extraordinary pain care and the absolute best in in-office interventional medicine. However, there are times where over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines are needed to provide relief in-between appointments. If you’re experiencing pain and need treatment before your next appointment, check out some of the OTC pain relievers featured below.

Pain physicians are a special breed of doctor. That probably sounds silly, but becoming a pain management specialist requires more than just a strong educational background—it also requires behavioral traits like empathy and compassion. Of course, we don’t mean these traits are literally required, but they undoubtedly help when you consider the nature of this profession. Working with individuals in pain can be an emotionally trying experience, and some people may be more cut out for this career than others.

If you’ve ever been involved in a car accident, or played a high-contact sport, you’re probably well aware of what whiplash is, how it occurs and how it feels. Nevertheless, the team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center wants patients to understand whiplash can be caused by many other traumas too. Although this particular neck injury isn’t usually life threatening, it can cause long-lasting damage and pain. Therefore, it’s vital patients remediate their injury with treatment and the help of a medical professional.

Whiplash is a neck injury that is caused by the sudden jerking of the head, either backwards, forwards or to the sides. Some of the top causes of whiplash include:

According to the Association for Physiological Science, individuals who are positive and have more “upbeat” emotions have better physical health. This may stem from a positive persons’ ability to make more social connections, which inadvertently contributes to greater physical health. Nevertheless, it should come as no surprise that mood and emotions play a huge role in a person’s overall wellbeing. Moreover, leading a happier life could help reduce chronic pain symptoms.

At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, the team strives to treat each patient with positivity and the utmost respect in the hopes of increasing positivity and physical health. With that, the pain management physicians are also sharing what it takes to be positive and how that can impact chronic pain.

Studies have found sitting for an extended period of time (more than half an average day) can increase your risk of developing serious health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. If that wasn’t bad enough, individuals living with chronic pain must consider this concern in addition to managing their pain symptoms.

The team at Southwest Spine and Pain Center encourages patients to get up and walk around every few minutes/hours during the work day to decrease some of these health risks. Additionally, the pain management physicians want patients to consider equipment that will help them feel as comfortable as possible.

Degenerative disc disease is a condition that causes pain from damaged vertebral discs in the spine. Degeneration of one or more discs is fairly common in aging adults and can hasten from conditions like spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis of the spine, or spondylolisthesis (facet joint degeneration). Unfortunately, this ailment can confuse and/or create unnecessary panic in people because of it’s name. Degenerative disc disease is not actually a “disease,” and contrary to popular belief, this condition can get better over time.