Don't be a pain in the neck!

September 21, 2011 3:13 PM

Author: Dr. Alex Patterson is a licensed clinical psychologist at the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2). He is currently working to develop mobile applications that provide education and behavior-change strategies for the military and provider community.

A friend of mine had a serious neck injury in 2005. This injury caused her an intense amount of pain. She proceeded to seek treatment from her primary care physician and participated in physical therapy, but when the injury healed - the pain did not subside. Even as she engaged in different treatments there continued to be a constant, aching pain in her neck. She spent years frustrated with the pain; it kept her up at night, made it difficult to read a book, and even led her to quit the softball team. Then, about a year ago, she decided to accept the pain as part of her life. To her surprise, she began to feel better and was amazed to find that her pain had decreased!

We know physical injuries cause us pain. But, sometimes the pain from that injury lingers even after the body has healed. When the pain lasts longer than expected, and doesn't seem to have an immediate cause, it's referred to as chronic pain. Chronic pain is the most common complaint people have during visits with their primary care physician. Among service members and veterans the rates of chronic pain are high.

In my work as a psychologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs I often counseled veterans with chronic pain. The veterans were angry that their pain was persistent and wouldn't go away after trying several treatment options. Usually there would come a time when the veteran accepted the pain as a part of their life. After accepting the pain they felt a "weight had been lifted off their shoulder". They felt happier about life, and in many cases the pain even got better!

If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic pain here are some alternative treatment options you may want to try:

Apply heat via a hot shower or heating pad to the injury... or try the opposite, and apply a cold ice pack.

Stretch your muscles daily or try a yoga class.

Distract yourself with something fun, relaxing, or mentally challenging (i.e., puzzles, a book, Sudoku).

Consider finding a masseuse for a relaxing massage.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, and exercising regularly.

Try calming your body by practicing diaphragmatic breathing using T2's Breathe2Relax mobile application for the iPhone or iPad.

Give yourself a daily pep-talk. "You can do this!"

When it comes to chronic pain there are many medications and complex treatments. But, sometimes the most helpful thing is simply accepting that the pain is here to stay, and learning to live a happy, meaningful life in spite of it.

Tags:

Chronic Pain

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