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    GK Dec 2019

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    The document discusses chronic pain experienced by many military veterans and how prescription medications are commonly used to manage pain but can ultimately make the problem worse. It then describes non-medication approaches the author has used successfully to manage chronic pain, including physical therapy, yoga, diet and lifestyle changes, and stress reduction techniques.

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    GK Dec 2019

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    api-537640477
    37 views2 pages
    The document discusses chronic pain experienced by many military veterans and how prescription medications are commonly used to manage pain but can ultimately make the problem worse. It then describes non-medication approaches the author has used successfully to manage chronic pain, including physical therapy, yoga, diet and lifestyle changes, and stress reduction techniques.

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    The document discusses chronic pain experienced by many military veterans and how prescription medications are commonly used to manage pain but can ultimately make the problem worse. It then describes non-medication approaches the author has used successfully to manage chronic pain, including physical therapy, yoga, diet and lifestyle changes, and stress reduction techniques.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    37 views2 pages

    GK Dec 2019

    Uploaded by

    api-537640477
    The document discusses chronic pain experienced by many military veterans and how prescription medications are commonly used to manage pain but can ultimately make the problem worse. It then describes non-medication approaches the author has used successfully to manage chronic pain, including physical therapy, yoga, diet and lifestyle changes, and stress reduction techniques.

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    Approximately 50 million Americans live with chronic pain,

    according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and


    Prevention, and many of those suffering have served in the armed
    forces. The National Health Interview Survey found that military
    veterans are more likely to experience chronic pain than people
    who've never worn the uniform.

    Pain can take many forms: sharp, dull, strong, mild, intermittent,
    constant. Acute pain is sudden, usually brought on by illness,
    injury or surgery. With time, it resolves. Chronic pain is the result
    of increased sensitivity of the nerves. And it can be unrelenting in terms of frequency and
    severity. Chronic pain may even lead to anxiety, depression, and a reduced quality of life.

    According to the CDC, many people rely on prescription medications to manage their pain. I did,
    after getting injured in the military I spent some time recuperating but once back on the job, I
    was still hurting. There were many days I'd wake up, take medication to mask the pain, and
    then push through the day. Other mission-related injuries exacerbated the pain. I was taking
    “ranger candy” (800 mg ibuprofen) three times a day, every day. Whenever I exhausted a
    prescription I would go in to see a doctor and since it seemed “my doctor” changed from one
    appointment to another I was never questioned just given another year’s worth of scripts. I also
    developed the habit of taking extra strength acetaminophen (or acetaminophen arthritis
    strength) and then four hours later ibuprofen. Repeating every four hours.

    Moreover, they were ultimately adding to the problem. Let's say my back hurt. I'd take a couple
    of pills and then, feeling no pain, continue working past the point when I should have stopped.
    The overexertion would leave me almost completely debilitated for a day or two afterward,
    when the pain medication wore off. And the body can develop a tolerance to medication over
    time, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

    I’ve put off surgery because of potential risks, including paralysis and infections. Many years
    after retiring and well into my second career as a postal employee, I went to the VA for carpal
    tunnel problems and eventually surgery. At this point it was determined I had been on
    ibuprofen for over 35 years and my supply got cut off. After recuperating from my surgeries, I
    approached my doctors about learning how to retrain my brain so that I would not have to take
    meds and take a different approach to managing my pain. Initially I was given a TENS unit, but
    you can’t use it constantly and there are times it is not practical to wear it. Additionally, I look
    for other ways to feel better. Active approaches are best for retraining the brain. Physical
    therapy, yoga, and general exercise are some examples. Diet and lifestyle also affect how our
    brain perceives pain.

    Pain clinics may offer procedures such as trigger-point massage, dry-needling, advanced
    injections like epidurals and facet blocks, spinal cord stimulation, and acupuncture. These
    therapies, along with yoga, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body techniques,
    ice or heat, and electrical stimulation modalities (TENS, Alpha-Stim, Calmare, and Inter X) can
    make a big difference in a pain cycle.

    Pain is your body's way of telling you to throttle back. I've learned to listen to and heed that
    signal. Instead of taking meds and continuing with what I was doing, I stop. The work will still
    be there tomorrow. You just pick up and do it in stages, rather than try to knock it all out in one
    day.

    Pain influences people’s lives and can affect your mood and stress levels. Finding ways to
    reduce stress can help treat pain by winding down the nervous system.

    Today, I'm not completely pain-free. I'm usually a 6 on the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating
    Scale, which health care providers use to assess pain intensity as well as how pain impacts daily
    activities, including work and sleep. A "6" means my pain is difficult to ignore. It can cause me
    to avoid usual activities, such as sleeping, mowing the lawn, climbing stairs, grocery shopping,
    exercising, and walking my dogs.

    I understand that for some people, it may not be wise or safe to eliminate prescription pain
    medications altogether. But if you're looking for a lifestyle change – and it is, indeed, a lifestyle
    change – talk to your health care provider about options for pain management that don't rely
    on meds. Be open and honest about how you're feeling physically as well as emotionally, and
    bring your family members in on the conversation as well. You need not be alone in this.
    DEFENSE AND VETERANS PAIN RATING SCALE:

    0 = NO PAIN
    1 = HARDLY NOTICE PAIN
    2 = NOTICE PAIN, DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH ACTIVITES
    3 = SOMETIMES DISTRACTS ME
    4 = DISTRACTS ME, CAN DO USUAL ACTIVITIES
    5 = INTERRUPTS SOME ACTIVITES
    6 = HARD TO IGNORE, AVOID USUAL ACTIVITIES
    7 = FOCUS OF ATTENTION, PREVENTS DOING DAILY ACTIVITIES
    8 = AWFUL, HARD TO DO ANYTHING
    9 = CAN’T BEAR THE PAIN UNABLE, TO DO ANYTHING
    10 = AS BAD AS IT COULD BE, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

    Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays
    from the Grand Knight, her Executive Board and the Past Grand Knights. Please have a safe
    holiday season and please remember those who are not at home but where ever they may be
    stationed.

    Strength in Unity!
    The Voice of the Enlisted

    Lady Sunny Wirth


    Grand Knight

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