The Indianapolis Star: Monday, May 9,2005;
Front Page Poll: 1 in 5 suffer from Chronic Pain!!
Just 30 percent receive 'great deal' of relief, survey of U.S. adults said... As many as 40 million people - almost 1 of every 5 American adults - suffer from chronic pain, according to a new USA Today ABC News/Stanford Medical Center pll. Half of the 1,204 respondents cite the source of their discomfort as a medical injury or condition such as joint pain, heart desease of cancer.
"The problem is absolutely enormous," said Russell Portenoy, chairman of pain medicine at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center. "It rivals every serious public health issue, whether you're talking about heart disease, cancer obesity of anything else."
Pain medicine isn't recognized as a full-fledged medical specialty on par with cardiology, oncology or anesthesiology, despite the growing pool of desperate patients. At this time, the American Board of Medical Specialties does not recognize pain medicine as a primary medical specialty.
The American Board of Pain Medicine has taken the lead in education and credentialing pain medicine specialists. So far, the board has certified just 1,700 doctors as pain specialists. That's about one pain specialist for every 23,500 people who need care.
With specialists so rare, many pain patients are cared for by doctors who lack training and experience in the appropriate use of a range of pain therapies; among them drugs, spine stimulators and implanted pumps, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture.
Patients hopscotch from doctor to doctor for years before they're given an accurate diagnosis, pain specialists say, and it may take even longer to find appropriate care.
"I always ask my incoming patients, 'How many physicians have you gone to with this complaint,' "said B. Todd Sitzman, medical director of the Center of Pain Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss. "It's unusual to see someone who hasn't gone to at least three other physicians looking for answers."
The result, doctors say, is that patients suffer. The survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, bears this out. Of those surveyed who sought care, 90 percent reported that the doctor understood their pain problem well, but just 30 percent reported getting a "great deal" of relief.
A study of pain's effect on worker productivity reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2003 calculated the cost in teh United States at more than $62 Billion a year from reduced performance alone. Add in the cost of treatment and lost workdays and the total climbs to an estimated $100 Billion, according to the American Pain Foundation.
The psychological effects of pain amplify the trauma, contributing to depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and suicide. "Many people in severe pain from terminal illness fear their pain more than they fear death," said Scott Fishman, chief of pain medicine at the University of California-Davis.
Acording to the survey the top sources of pain were: Back at 25%, Knee at 12%, Headache/Migraines at 9%, Shoudler at 7% and lastly Legs at 7%.
Treatments used were: Over-the-counter drugs: 84% tried, 34% semi-satisfied Home remedies: 81% tried, 26% semi-satisfied Prescription Drugs: 60% tried, 51% semi-satisfied Bed Rest: 58% tried, 33% semi-satisfied Prayer: 58% tried, 51% semi-satisfied
HealthDay News Wednesday March 2, 2005 11:46 PM ET
Millions of Americans are all too familiar with pain -- countless trips to the doctor or chiropractor, endless pain medications, sleepless nights and the struggle of getting through the day.
The answer may lie in massage therapy.
Clinical research has shown that massage therapy can be more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies; it can reduce post-traumatic headaches better than cold pack treatments; it stimulates the brain to produce endorphis; and improve confidence by encouraging patients to effectively cope with their pain, the American Massage Therapy Association says. AMTA offers these tips on what to expect when you go for massage therapy:
· The massage therapist will ask questions about what prompted you to get a massage.
· The therapist will want background information about your physical condition, medical history, lifestyle, stress levels and any painful areas.
· The therapist will ask what your health goals are and will discuss how massage may help you achieve those goals.
· During a one-on-one massage, you will be asked to remove clothing to your level of comfort. Clothing is not removed during "chair" massages.
The important thing is to relax as much as possible during and after your session.
Indiana Living; Health & Fitness Indianapolis Star Newspaper by Hillary E. MacGregor, Los Angeles Times
You lie on the crisp white sheet of the massage table in semi-darkness. The scent of almond oil fills the air. Then come the hands, gently kneading the necklace of knots that rings your back, your neck, your shoulders. You close your eyes, breathe deeply and let yourself relax. But beyond momentary pleasures, are there medical benefits to massage?
Hospitals and medical clinics around the United Stated are beginning to integrate massage into patient care. Massage is currently the most common non-traditional therapy offered in U.S. hospitals, according to an American Hospital Association survey in 2003. The most common uses for massage in hospitals: helping patients cope with pain and stress, and as a therapeutic service for cancer and maternity patients.
At Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, VA, cancer patients are offered therapeutic massage by one of eight trained therapists. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, 11 massage therapists are on staff working with hundreds of patients admitted to the hospital or seen at its various clinics.
And at the University of California-Los Angeles Center for East-West Medicine, a team of four therapists uses massage to alleviate pain and symptoms for patients suffering from illnesses such as fibromyalgia, migraines and back pain.
The National Institutes of Health is funding several studies to examine the medical benefits of massage. Previous studies have found that massage can help reduce chronic pain, diminish anxiety and depression and enhance immune function.
A new survey by the American Massage Therapy Association shows that nearly half of Americans have used massage therapy as a way to manage and relieve pain. The survey also found that health-care providers are more likely than before to discuss the possible benefits of massage and to recommend it to their patients. And some health insurers have begun paying for the therapy, according to the survey.
Still, many doctors remain skeptical of the research suggesting a medical benefit to massage, saying more rigorous studies are needed.
But doctors, nurses and patients who have seen massage in action say that even if the benefits can't be demonstrated by large clinical studies, the anecdotal evidence is powerful.
"Clearly there are medical benefits to massage," said Dr. Gregory P. Fontana, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles who conducted a pilot study of heart patients to measure the effectiveness of nontraditional therapies.