Sep. 21--Warren Palmer has had to deal with his share of pain.
There were the lower-back problems from walking around all day on the cement floor of his feed-supply business. Then colon cancer struck in 2004. Two years later, he injured his neck after falling from his bicycle.
And then, the stock market tumbled, decimating his investment.
"I was trying to outsmart the market and bought heavily into stock that went from $2 a share to about 12 cents," said the "60-something" Orlando resident. "That really hurt."
A new survey shows the bad economy is hurting more than our wallets. More than two-thirds of Americans with acute back pain or other muscle strains and sprains in the past year are in part blaming the recession, according to a survey released today by the American Pain Foundation.
More than a quarter of respondents said greater stress, pressure, anxiety or worry related to the recession had a major effect on their pain. Nearly 30 percent said working harder, either at home or on the job, was a contributing factor. And more than one in five said health problems related to the economy -- such as sleeplessness, poor eating habits or cutting back on health care -- were causing the pain to worsen.
"It is clear that people experience pain -- and make themselves more vulnerable to pain -- during stressful times," said Will Rowe, chief executive officer of the American Pain Foundation. "Our study corroborated that."
Although the report did not look at regional differences, a 2003 study by the Florida Pain Initiative -- an organization of health-care professionals -- showed that four out of five Florida households had at least one member who experienced pain at least monthly.
With prescription drug addiction making headlines after pop icon Michael Jackson's death, and with growing concerns about the overuse of over-the-counter pain relievers, medical experts are raising awareness of pain and its effect on quality of life.
Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability and affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. More than of 25 percent of U.S. adults have experienced pain lasting more than 24 hours, according to a 2006 survey by the National Center for Health Statistics.
"From our perspective, there is a silent epidemic of pain in this country," said Rowe. "We want to raise awareness for people to pay attention to their pain. And to attend to it."
Experts suggest simple tips to relieve pain, including improving diet and exercise and incorporating stress management and relaxation techniques such as yoga, breathing and stretching exercises or massage therapy.
"For the vast majority of patients, this will take care of the most common pain issues," said Dr. Diego Guerrero, medical director of Florida Hospital Celebration Health Pain Center.
Palmer attends yoga classes three times a week at Downtown YMCA Family Center in Orlando, which he said had helped both manage his pain and lower his stress.
4-step approach
Guerrero suggests a four-step approach to pain management, with the first step consisting of such nonmedical approaches. He said mental-health professionals may also be helpful in providing relaxation and stress-reduction techniques.
"If you still have severe back pain, sciatica or other pain, it's good to seek medical professional help, especially if you're dealing with chronic pain that does not get better after three months," said Guerrero.
A primary-care physician can offer pain medications, physical therapy, or a combination of both.
If pain persists, Guerrero suggests, seek a doctor specializing in pain management who can offer minimally invasive, nonsurgical treatments. He suggests patients look for a professional who is board-certified in pain management and beware of practices that are essentially dispensaries for highly addictive prescription pain medications.
The final step would be to seek surgical consultation.
The most important advice: "Don't ignore pain," Guerrero said. "Many people are brought up to think that if you ignore pain, it will go away. Unfortunately, that's usually not the case."
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