It's estimated that more than 50 million American are suffering with chronic pain. September is Pain Management Month. Learn more about pain management care and how to help shed light on this condition in this month's blog.
Chronic pain is defined as lasting for more than three months. Typically is manifest in those suffering from an injury, an auto-immune disorders, or perhaps the hardest an "unexplained" pain.
Leading causes include:
- Past injuries or surgeries
- Back problems
- Migraines and other headaches
- Arthritis
- Nerve damage
- Infections
- Fibromyalgia, a condition in which people feel muscle pain throughout their bodies
Dr. Julie Sanchez, co-founder of Spoonie Threads noted "I do not claim to understand what a person with chronic pain or fibromyalgia is going through. I can say, however, that chronic pain is very real. It's a hidden disability that can cripple an individual both physically and mentally. As a physician and co-founder of Spoonie Threads, I see many shades of chronic pain. Our company was created with all disabilities in mind. We at Spoonie Threads hear you, see you and believe in you. We stand by you."
Some of the most common conditions that cause chronic pain include arthritis, back pain and headaches. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine:
- Arthritis refers to over 100 different conditions ranging from autoimmune disease to normal joint inflammation.
- There is no cure for arthritis -- treatment plans often involve both short-term and long-term approaches.
- An estimated 294,000 children are affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and other rheumatological conditions.
- According to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of ten people will have back pain at some time in their life.back pain
- Millions of people get crippling headaches, and there are dozens of different headache types -- but receiving the right diagnosis is key to getting the right treatment
- Migraines can be triggered by stress, fatigue, or certain foods -- and researchers claim obese patients are five times more likely to develop chronic migraines.
"No matter where chronic pain stems from, each type of pain has one thing in common—it affects the person’s life. I’ve seen patients who can’t get adequate sleep because of their pain, and I’ve met people who aren’t even able to leave their house because their pain is so debilitating. Other patients I’ve seen forgo seeing their friends or family because of their pain and their overall mood quickly dwindles."
~Jennifer Lee, MD, Physician at EvergreenHealth Pain Care.
Ways to Get Involved
The U.S. Pain Foundations lists easy ways you can help create awareness about chronic pain this September, such as:
- Download their free Pain Awareness Month frame for your social media profile picture.
- Like, comment, and share/retweet their daily posts on social media.
- Use the hashtag, #LifeWithPain in all your social media posts in September
- Read and share each weekly article.
- Register and attend their two-part webinar event.
- Join their social media challenge by posting a picture or going “Live” to share your #LifeWithPain!
Additional resources:
Improving your quality of life with pain management
International Association on the Study of Pain (IASP) Pain Awareness Month
Spoonie Threads products to assist those with chronic pain
Our Shoulder Snap Tee and Recovery Blouse can make dressing easier and access to ports or lines following surgeries or procedures. And for light compress we have Support Sleeves and Support Waistbands.
