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PAIN |
CONDITIONS |
SUPPORT |
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The World of Chronic Pain More than 125 million Amercians are suffering. Diseases & Conditions These conditions can cause a world of pain. Medications & Treatment Be sure you know the cautions and side effects. Help & Support Finding help is not always simple for those in pain. Safety & Prevention These tips can help prevent a lifetime of pain. News & Issues Up-to-date news on pain-related issues. |
The World of Chronic PainWhy Does It Hurt?Chronic pain continues after the injury or disease should have healed but for some reason the nerves in the area continue to transmit pain signals to the brain. Cases exist where brain chemistry misfires and causes pain when there is nothing wrong with the body. Chronic Pain Chronic pain is defined as pain associated with a condition that lasts more than three months. People with chronic pain define it as living in an ongoing state of hideous torture. Acute Versus Chronic Pain It is useful to distinguish between two basic types of pain, acute and chronic, and they differ greatly. Brief History of Pain Ancient civilizations recorded on stone tablets accounts of pain and the treatments used - pressure, heat, water, and sun. Phantom Pain Phantom pain is much debated among doctors, but not among amputees. The pain in a missing limb can be so intense as to drive its victims crazy. The Autonomic Nervous System The nervous system comprises the brain and various types of nerves, which carry sensory impulses from all parts of the body to the brain and efferent nerves through which messages are conducted from the brain to the muscles and all of the organs of the body. AIDS and Pain AIDS pain is caused by many factors: cancer, opportunistic infections, peripheral neuropathy, a condition of the peripheral nervous system. Pain in Aging and Pediatric Patients Pain is the number one complaint of older Americans, and one in five older Americans takes a painkiller regularly. Online Resources |
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