Of all the serious health problems our society faces, one condition is taking pandemic proportions, and that’s chronic pain. In the United States alone, an estimated 56 million people suffer from chronic pain. More than 17.2 million are in severe pain. According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined.

In one study published in the journal Pain, 60.8 percent of the subjects who reported chronic pain also had depression, most of them with “severe” level symptoms.

What is Chronic Pain?

We’re all familiar with pain, from headaches to stubbed toes. This is called acute pain, which means that it has a direct cause and will go away. Cuts, bruises, and broken bones, for example, cause acute pain. It doesn’t last long and disappears after the body heals again.

In contrast, chronic pain doesn’t go away. It may continue long after someone recovers from an injury or illness. Sometimes chronic pain sets in for no obvious reason, which makes it hard to diagnose or treat. It seems that the pain is coming out of nowhere and has no direct, observable cause. Conditions such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia fall into this category.

For those suffering from chronic pain, the result is a living hell. Patients with chronic pain syndrome often feel isolated and depressed. Left untreated, chronic pain conditions will gradually worsen into real physical disabilities such as difficulty moving and walking. Sometimes even non-epileptic seizures can occur.

Pandemic Proportions

Chronic pain is one of the costliest health problems in the U.S. with severe economic consequences. This includes increased medical expenses, lost income, lost productivity, absenteeism, compensation payments, and more.

It is also the most untreated condition. Lacking an obvious cause, chronic pain patients are left undiagnosed. Physicians resort to all manner of medications in their attempt to at least alleviate the pain. Those drugs, however, are usually far more dangerous than the condition they seek to resolve and can carry severe risks of complications, including:

  • Acute liver failure from acetaminophen treatment.
  • Opioid addiction and/or overdose.
  • Mood changes, confusion, and respiratory issues from nerve pain medications.
  • Spinal cord damage or infection from spinal cord stimulators.
  • Long-term use of NSAIDs can cause problems with the liver, kidney, heart, and blood circulation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “A systematic review published in 2014 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found insufficient evidence to demonstrate long-term benefits of prescription opioid treatment for chronic pain, and long-term prescription opioid use was found to be associated with increased risk for overdose and opioid misuse, among other risks.”

Alternatives

The good news is that there are treatment alternatives – and really good ones.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a growing body of evidence suggests that complementary approaches can help manage chronic pain conditions. Treatments exist that, rather than concentrating on the symptoms of the chronic pain condition, explore to find and treat the causes. There are holistic programs that provide whole-body treatments since chronic pain is rarely isolated to one specific body problem.

Magnolia Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is an integrated, holistic medical clinic specializing in physical rehabilitation and functional medicine. Their team of experienced medical professionals takes a more in-depth look at the underlying problems causing chronic pain. It’s through this team effort that the healthcare professionals at Magnolia Medical Center achieve success after success with their patients.

A Pioneer in Chronic Pain Relief

Magnolia Medical Center is a pioneer in the rehabilitation and relief of pain using natural, non-surgical means. This includes functional medicine, chiropractic care, rehabilitation, and wellness services. The pain management clinic sees results on a daily basis from patients who were previously told their only options were surgery or a lifetime of pain medication.

For more information, contact the Magnolia Medical Center at (615) 953-9007 to request an appointment!