Fighting Chronic Pain - Treating Acute Pain, Problem With ... - AARP

"The injury itself is important, of course," says Apkarian. "But what's happening in the brain predicts with 80 percent accuracy who will go on to develop chronic pain." Apkarian hopes the discovery will lead to new drugs that could head off the switch from acute to chronic pain.

The most effective approach to pain

For now, the most effective way to ease chronic pain is a holistic approach that involves both body and mind ? one that begins with a dose of reality. "A lot of patients come to us hoping that we can get rid of their pain," says Richard W. Rosenquist, M.D., an expert in pain management at the Cleveland Clinic. "But the reality for many patients is that we can't. We can't cure their arthritis. We can't make them young again. But we can help them manage chronic pain and get back to their lives."

Indeed, many experts now encourage chronic pain sufferers to focus less on their pain and more on function. "I used to routinely ask chronic pain patients to rate their score on a scale of 1 to 10," says Rosenquist. "Now I want to know what people would like to do that they can't do because of their pain. Then we can look for ways to help them manage the pain and do what they want to do."

The benefits of exercise

Staying as active as possible is crucial. In fact, recent research shows that physical activity ? done safely ? is one of the most effective treatments for chronic pain.

In a 2012 study by researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, 200 patients with osteoarthritis who participated in a weekly exercise program reported a significant drop in pain and an improvement in quality of life. The program included tai chi, yoga, dance and other forms of exercise, tailored to people with osteoarthritis. Other studies have shown that exercise eases chronic back pain. Almost any form of activity seems to help. When scientists at Tel Aviv University compared six-week programs of brisk walking versus strength training workouts in patients with chronic low-back pain, both improved functioning and reduced pain.

Next page: Antidepressants can help those with chronic pain. ?

Source: http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-04-2013/fighting-chronic-pain.html

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