Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/82405
CHRONIC PAIN Research and Clinical Applications Millions of people—more than 25 percent of the US population1 Back pain, headache, neck pain, —live with pain. Pain affects more Americans than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined. The financial burden of pain in the United States is reaching $100 billion annually—health- care costs, lost income, and lost productivity, not to mention the emotional toll on the afflicted and their families—yet only 1 percent of National Institutes of Health (NIH) granting dollars are focused on pain research.2 and the complications of conventional medicine are some of the top reasons people seek complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies.3 The negative side effects of both nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prescription pain relievers are driving people young and old to seek alternative remedies for their pain. These trends require massage therapists who understand the mechanisms of pain, have the skills to address a variety of pain conditions effectively and safely, and are equipped with communication tools adequate to participate on an integrative medical team. With and without physician referrals, people in pain are finding their way to massage therapists: massage is the number two most used practitioner-based CAM therapy for pain, second only to chiropractic and osteopathic care combined.5 It is critical for us to work with our clients and their health-care team to provide drug-free pain relief as people "just say no" to opioids and NSAIDs. ACUTE VS CHRONIC PAIN Acute pain is a normal therapeutic sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and protect you from further harm. It is typically responsive to treatment and often follows a trauma or surgery. Chronic pain, on the other hand, is no longer productive, lingering long after the injury or tissue damage has resolved, and is unresponsive to typical treatment methods effective A recent study claims that massage use is higher and drug use is lower in today's older adult population.4 for conditions common with acute pain symptoms. Acute pain that persists over time often transforms into a dysfunction of the nervous system—a disease in and of itself, a complex pathology—and becomes a contributor to multiple pathologies.6 Common types of pain include nociceptive pain (dull, achy, poorly localized pain, where sensory receptors or neurons found extensively throughout soft tissue perceive pain and send pain signals to the brain along A fibers and C fibers) and neuropathic pain (burning, tingling, stabbing, pins and needles, which is a central nervous system disorder). A third type of pain has also been identified—suffering. Suffering includes both physical pain (non-neurogenic, such as nausea and vertigo) and emotional pain (such as anger, anxiety, depression, and fear).7 To further legitimize this third type of pain, a survey from the American Pain Foundation indicates that 68 percent of people who have experienced acute pain in recent years feel that the recession caused, increased, or affected their pain.8 A Harvard Health Report states that chronic pain is an emotional condition, as well as a physical sensation.9 pain is depressing and depression causes and intensifies pain. People with chronic pain have three times the average risk of developing mood or anxiety disorders and depressed patients have three times the average risk of developing chronic pain.10 Inclusion of this third type of pain—suffering—demands a more holistic approach to meeting client needs. The relationship is intimate: Boost your practice with ABMP's Website Builder—free for members on ABMP.com 117