Seaside, CA: Seniors Often Suffer From Chronic Pain, Depression, After Surgery: View From A Private
Seaside, CA: Seniors Often Suffer From Chronic Pain, Depression, After Surgery: View From A Private Duty Caregiver Serving, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Gilroy, Gonzalez, Greenfield, Hollister, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Seaside & Soledad California
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (the medical branch of the National Academy of Sciences) found that chronic pain afflicts many more people than previously believed, now estimated at 116 million in this country. The number is larger than those with diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. One thing the study found is that chronic pain often outlasts the original illness or injury, causing changes in the nervous system which worsen over time. Doctors often can't find a cause because there isn't one, which causes frustration on the part of the Doctor and the patient. "We're finding that there are significant changes in the central nervous system and spinal cord that cause pain to become amplified and persistent even after the injury has gone away," Dr. Sean Mackey, chief of pain management at the Stanford School of Medicine and a member of the committee that produced the report, told a reporter. The report found that between 10% and 50% of surgical patients who have pain after surgery go on to develop chronic pain, depending upon the procedure. For as many as 10% of those patients, the chronic postoperative pain is severe. Currently, about one in four Americans suffer from frequent lower back pain. I wrote a blog last year about chronic pain and how it often leads to over medication. Although it's certainly not true in all cases, often pain can be relieved by exercise, getting a massage or having treatment from a chiropractor. This is much more healthy over the long run than getting hooked on pain killers. The report found that the risk of suicide is high among chronic pain patients. Two studies found that about 5% of those with musculoskeletal pain had tried to kill themselves. Amongst those with chronic abdominal pain, the number was 14%. At Family inHome Caregiving we stress a good diet and exercise, as well as getting our senior Clients out and about so they can socialize with others. This is good for the mind and the body, and can stave off depression. Many senior citizens become depressed as they lose mobility, particularly if they have lost a spouse or have watched a number of old friends pass away which makes them wonder why they have been left behind. Losing their ability to drive often becomes an inflection point, where rather than asking for help many remain at home and isolated. Make sure your loved ones get the social stimulation they need as they get older, it's extremely important.
http://www.familyinhomecaregiving.com/blog.html?page=1
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (the medical branch of the National Academy of Sciences) found that chronic pain afflicts many more people than previously believed, now estimated at 116 million in this country. The number is larger than those with diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. One thing the study found is that chronic pain often outlasts the original illness or injury, causing changes in the nervous system which worsen over time. Doctors often can't find a cause because there isn't one, which causes frustration on the part of the Doctor and the patient. "We're finding that there are significant changes in the central nervous system and spinal cord that cause pain to become amplified and persistent even after the injury has gone away," Dr. Sean Mackey, chief of pain management at the Stanford School of Medicine and a member of the committee that produced the report, told a reporter. The report found that between 10% and 50% of surgical patients who have pain after surgery go on to develop chronic pain, depending upon the procedure. For as many as 10% of those patients, the chronic postoperative pain is severe. Currently, about one in four Americans suffer from frequent lower back pain. I wrote a blog last year about chronic pain and how it often leads to over medication. Although it's certainly not true in all cases, often pain can be relieved by exercise, getting a massage or having treatment from a chiropractor. This is much more healthy over the long run than getting hooked on pain killers. The report found that the risk of suicide is high among chronic pain patients. Two studies found that about 5% of those with musculoskeletal pain had tried to kill themselves. Amongst those with chronic abdominal pain, the number was 14%. At Family inHome Caregiving we stress a good diet and exercise, as well as getting our senior Clients out and about so they can socialize with others. This is good for the mind and the body, and can stave off depression. Many senior citizens become depressed as they lose mobility, particularly if they have lost a spouse or have watched a number of old friends pass away which makes them wonder why they have been left behind. Losing their ability to drive often becomes an inflection point, where rather than asking for help many remain at home and isolated. Make sure your loved ones get the social stimulation they need as they get older, it's extremely important.
http://www.familyinhomecaregiving.com/blog.html?page=1
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