Don't Needlessly Suffer From Chronic Pain
Copyright 2005 Robert Gould
As a chronic pain sufferer, with a diagnosis of a herniated disc
along with bone disc degenerative disease, for many years I have
needlessly suffered from chronic pain. During the many years of
needlessly suffering in pain, I have learned how chronic pain is
treated, or should I say undertreated.
First of all, patients seeking treatment from the medical
community are greeted with a negative stigma that's associated
with chronic pain treatment. This is due for a variety of
reasons. Some physicians and healthcare professionals are afraid
of the new and ever changing government regulations, patient
addiction, diversion, or just the pure lack of knowledge when it
comes to treating chronic pain.
Its a sad fact that chronic pain is grossly ignored and
undertreated by healthcare professionals. Too many Americans are
needlessly & silently suffering from chronic pain. It also
appears that doctors are hesitant about what types of treatment
is best for people that suffer from constant daily pain. As in
my case, a doctor told me that he recommended back surgery.
After several second opinions, and talking to many surgery
patients who already had surgery with the same diagnosis as me,
going under the surgeons knife didn't seem like a reasonable or
logical option.
With failed back surgery being very common, and needed follow up
surgery from damage or complications due to surgery, and the
possibility of permanent nerve damage and paralysis from having
surgery, again surgery wasn't worth the risk. But it seems
physicians & surgeons try to pressure you into surgery, or some
kind of invasive measures so they can justify the prescribing
long term narcotic medications.
After trying physical therapy, biofeedback tactics, countless
steroid injections, anti-inflammatory, to several different over
the counter medicines with no great results, I felt helpless.
Luckily, after years of low back and leg pain, I finally found
the help needed to address my pain. I am now on a responsible
drug therapy program. I no longer feel like a drug addict, or
not believed when obtaining the proper pain medication needed to
treat my pain. But after years of enduring chronic pain, I know
there's so many people like I was, who are still silently &
needlessly suffering in pain.
Chronic pain patients are discriminated against tremendously. If
someone has tried every treatment program to treat their pain
with no positive results, they should be entitled to the proper
pain medication needed to address their pain. Chronic pain
sufferers should not be a victim of the system and suffer
needlessly. I myself am a chronic pain sufferer dedicated to
helping other chronic pain sufferers live a more productive and
a better quality of life.