It is estimated that more than 116 million Americans have chronic pain, a major medical condition that can and should be treated. Chronic pain is considered by some to be the most costly health problem in America where millions suffer due to disease, disorder, or accident. Many of these people have been living in pain for over five years. The annual costs, including direct and indirect costs and legal fees, exceed $500 billion.

What is Pain?

Pain is the unpleasant feeling that tells you something is wrong: that something needs attention. Pain starts in receptor nerve cells located beneath the skin and in organs throughout the body. When there is an illness, injury, or other type of problem, these receptor cells send messages along nerve pathways to the spinal cord, which carries the messages to the brain. Pain can be anything from a slight nuisance, such as a mild headache, to something excruciating and emergent, such as the chest pain that accompanies a heart attack. Untreated pain diminishes our ability to concentrate, perform at work, exercise, socialize, and sleep. It can even affect the lives of family members who worry and want to help.

• Acute pain – typically comes from inflammation, tissue damage, injury, illness, or recent surgery and is of short duration, usually lasting less than a week or two. It ends after the underlying cause is treated or has been resolved.
• Chronic pain - persists for weeks, months, or even years. Chronic pain lasts beyond the usual recovery period or occurs along with a chronic health condition, such as arthritis. Chronic pain may be intermittent or continuous. It may affect people to the point that they cannot work, eat properly, participate in physical activity, or enjoy life.

• Low back pain – 26 million Americans have frequent back pain and many are so severely disabled they cannot work. Back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old.
• Cancer pain - The majority of patients in intermediate or advanced stages of cancer suffer moderate to severe pain.
• Arthritis pain - Arthritis pain affects 46 million Americans, more than 21% of the population. This percentage is expected to rise to as much as 40% in coming years.
• Headache - As many as 45 million Americans suffer chronic, recurrent headaches and spend billions of dollars a year on prescription and over-the-counter medications. On average, migraine sufferers each lose 7½ workdays each year due to pain.

Other pain disorders such as neuralgias and neuropathies affect nerves throughout the body, cause damage to the central nervous system, and can cause pain without an obvious physical cause.

Treatment for chronic pain falls into two main categories – traditional medicine and alternative/complementary medicine. At Old Hook Medical Associates our physicians work not only to manage the pain, but to understand and correct the underlying cause of the pain. Our multidisciplinary approach to pain management incorporates the skills of our physicians and healthcare professionals working as a team:

• Acupuncturist
• Oncologist
• Physiatrist
• Physical therapist
• Psychiatrist
• Podiatrist
• Rheumatologist

Now is the time to stop the cycle of pain. Call to make an appointment with Dr. Carol Glaubiger, a Board-certified Internist who specializes in acupuncture or to see Dr. Angela Ryan, Board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.