One of the most helpful factors in chronic pain treatment is having a reliable support system. Whether you have a supportive family or a great group of friends you can count on to help you out when you need, a support system of any kind is advantageous to your health. Chronic pain can affect numerous facets of your life, from the time you wake up in the morning and all throughout the night.
At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, our physicians provide each patient with all the information and tools they need to live normal lives. We have multiple treatment options available at any of our four Utah locations, to coping methods that can be implemented at home. A lot of times, people do not understand chronic pain, often associating misinformation with a serious medical condition. Today, we want to reveal the truths to 8 of the most common chronic pain myths out there, and hopefully give our patients information to relay to their friends and family.
- Pain is a natural development of aging. Chronic pain is not a natural side effect of aging.
- It’s better to tough it out and just live with pain. Ignoring a medical problem will do more harm than good, especially if you chose to self-medicate. Talk to a doctor about safe treatments for your unique condition.
- You can injure yourself further if you exercise when in pain. Exercise is a form of physical therapy and can be a great resource for chronic pain treatment. Movement is a key contributor to relieving painful symptoms.
- Chronic pain can kill you. Chronic pain cannot kill you, but it can lead to very painful situations, not only physically but mentally, too. At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, we can refer patients to a psychologist if their chronic pain condition is affecting their emotional state of mind.
- Dealing with chronic pain is merely a case of mind over matter. The best way to treat chronic pain is to use both your mind and matter: mental and physical treatments.
- People often exaggerate their pain to get sympathy. It is more normal that people with a chronic pain condition downplay their pain that to exaggerate it. If you know someone with chronic pain, talk to them and uncover what is really going on so you can better help them.
- The only way to treat chronic pain is with medication. Chronic pain treatment often involves the use of medication, but may also include physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga.
- Your PCP should be able to treat your chronic pain. Your primary care physician should refer to you to a pain specialist for the best pain management treatment that cannot otherwise be acquired by your family doctor.
If chronic pain is impacting your life, don't wait to schedule an appointment at Southwest Spine and Pain Center. With three locations and growing, the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are dedicated to helping those who suffer from chronic pain live the life they want to! To schedule an appointment, visit our locations tab!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
©Southwest Spine and Pain Center, 2014
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