September is “Pain Awareness Month” and a time to shine a light on the on-going chronic pain that nearly 100 million Americans experience. Pain is your body’s way of warning you of a larger issue that needs your attention.
It is estimated that employers lose $80 billion annually in productivity caused by chronic pain.
“Pain” is among the most common reasons someone makes an appointment with a provider (be it family practice, chiropractic, or physical therapy). This is the best way to begin setting up a treatment plan and finding ways to manage or reduce your pain.
You may think your pain is the result of a recent accident. While this is the case in some situations, oftentimes a previous injury or history of improper movement may have laid the groundwork for the current pain. Because of this, corrections often need to be made during the recovery process in order to limit future injuries.
Back Pain
Odds are you’ve dealt with back pain at some point in your life. According to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of ten people will have back pain at some point in their lives.
For back pain, in particular, chiropractors are a great resource.
Neck Pain
The posture you sit with can have a dramatic impact on your neck pain – particularly if you are hunched forward looking at a device. The farther you lean your neck forward the more force/weight it has to support.
Check your posture and try to get in a routine of sitting up straighter, particularly when you are checking your smartphone.
Arthritis
Technically there is no true “cure” for arthritis, but medical professionals do have treatment plans to make the day-to-day lives of arthritis patients easier.
In July we covered different types of arthritis in detail – including juvenile arthritis which impacts nearly 300,000 youth each year. This is a great reminder that chronic pain is not exclusive to older populations.
Headaches
Migraines (or headaches in general) impact millions of Americans every day. Pain caused by headaches results in nearly $30 billion in lost productivity. For some patients, these headaches are triggered by more than just “stress” (though stress is a common factor).
Genetics, hormones, diet, behavior, and more can cause you to experience headaches.
Regardless of where the pain is, identifying the cause of the pain is key in working with your provider to develop a care plan to best manage the pain.