Don’t Settle for the ‘New Normal’

A patient gave me the idea for this article topic. She came into the clinic last week with her husband and he was raving about how well she’s been doing over the past month. She’s been utilizing physical therapy in conjunction with chiropractic care for treatment for a few of her 'chronic' complaints. When asked what took her so long to seek out treatment she responded with “I thought if I ignored it then it would go away on it’s own. Then when I realized that wasn’t going to happen I was ready to just settle with the fact that this is just my new norm. It took me awhile to come to the realization that this may not be something I have to just deal with.” This HAS NOT and WILL NOT be the first time I hear that statement. Why are people so ready to settle with their ‘new normal’? Or worse, rely on medications to manage their ‘new normal’?

A recent survey put out by Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Annual Study of Americans has found that most people prefer to try a non-drug approach to treating their pain as opposed to taking medications prescribed by their doctor. They surveyed approximately 6,300 adults and discovered that nearly two-thirds of them said they have had at one point in their lifetime either neck or back pain so great that they sought out medical intervention for relief. From that population 78% said they preferred to try other ways to address their pain prior to resorting to medication. In the last year, 70% of Americans reported using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as aspirin, and 25% utilized an opioid for relief of their symptoms.

So what are the non-drug options for pain relief? If you’re looking for an option covered by most insurance companies then Physical Therapy and Chiropractic care are your best options. Of the many treatment options, Americans believed that Physical Therapy was the safest and most effective, followed closely by Chiropractic care. Both of these treatment methods were rated higher then prescription drugs for effectiveness and perceived safety. Other methods available as an alternative to use of drugs are self care, surgery, naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage therapy, and reiki.

Self care is perhaps the most important of the alternative treatments. It's important to be mindful of your body and it's many 'warning signs'. Acute pain is your first warning sign that something is wrong and that it may require medical intervention. Chronic pain differs from acute pain in that it's no longer a useful warning signal. It can cause prolonged suffering because it leads to people catastrophizing their condition and feeds their fear. “If the pain is not an indication that something is seriously wrong, you can learn to live with it,” said Dr. Campbell, an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Too often, he explained, “people with pain get caught in a vicious cycle of inactivity that results in lost muscle strength and further pain problems.” Living with the pain suggests that we can find methods to manage the symptoms in order to improve functional and overall quality of life.

The American College of Physicians recently issued new non-drug guideline for treating chronic and recurrent back pain which is one of the most common complaints made by Americans to their physicians. For those with chronic back pain, the suggestions include exercise, rehabilitation, acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, progressive relaxation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction such as meditation. Based on evidence from several clinical trials conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a division of the National Institute of Health, it's suggested that alternative methods of pain management may be useful in treatment of several chronic conditions:

- Acupuncture & Yoga for treatment of low back pain

- Acupuncture & Tai Chi for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knees

- Massage Therapy for treatment of neck pain, expecting short-term benefits with frequent sessions

- Relaxation Techniques for treatment of severe headaches and migraines

A few issues that arise when it comes to these alternative methods is that most major insurance companies will not provide coverage and the average individual may not be able to afford the out of pocket price. As mentioned previously the option of physical therapy and chiropractic care are useful, easy and covered by most insurance companies for pain management and rehabilitation.

Reach out to Dr. Hamel with any questions pertaining to this articles topic (drhamel@seacoastsportsinjuries.com). And remember.... don't settle for your 'new norm'. Life is too short to settle for pain and discomfort.

References:

Times Magazine article. Here’s Why Most Americans Prefer to Treat Pain Without Drugs by Alexandra Sifferlin on September 12, 2017.

New York Times article. Alternatives to Drugs for Treating Pain by Jane E. Brody on September 11, 2017.