Q. I have had chronic knee and back pain for two years. My doctor says that surgery is not possible at this time. What can I do to manage my pain?
A. You are not alone. According to a report issued by the American Psychological Association in 2011, pain is one of the most frequent health care problems in the United States. An estimated 116 million people are living with chronic pain: more individuals than those affected by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined.
After two years, no doubt you are extremely tired of being in pain. First, be certain that you have followed all of your doctor’s suggestions and are taking any medications correctly. Second, if you have been prescribed physical therapy, continue the exercises at home. Many people will do their exercises in therapy, but discontinue them once they have been released. Third, ask your physician about pain management programs that are available in your community. If no services are available, there are many books on pain management that you may find helpful. Most importantly, be as active as possible. There is nothing worse for pain than sitting at home thinking about it.
You may gain some relief by trying behavioral techniques on your own. Try to teach yourself to relax more deeply. This involves slow, deep breathing that releases tension and often helps control pain. Another technique is imagery; try to concentrate on mental images of pleasant scenes or events. Even repetition of words, phrases, or prayers helps many patients lower their stress levels and eases the pain.
Accepting that you have to live with your condition is sometimes a necessity. You have probably noticed that the more you fight and fear pain, the worse it becomes. Sometimes we have to make peace with pain and realize it causes limitation, but it should not prevent you from enjoying the many wonderful things life has to offer. Find activities that bring you joy, and your pain just may improve.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
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Q. I want to discuss my will and the possibilities of nursing care in the future, but when I attempt to discuss this with my adult children, they almost run from the house. What can I do? I don’t anticipate being disabled or dying in the near future, but I want to be prepared.
A. You must stress to your children that you are not ill or dying, but you are practical and understand that problems occur in families when plans have not been made before an inevitable event occurs. I encourage everyone to have a will, a living will which makes your healthcare choices known, and a durable power of attorney for healthcare which appoints someone to make decisions for you if you become incapacitated You should also inform your children if you prefer nursing home care or assisted living to remaining at home. Realize that for almost everyone, many decisions will be based on financial means.
You should write everything down, so that your preferences are clear. Documents for a living will and durable power of attorney for healthcare can be found at www.compassionandchoices.org. For a simple will form, go to “www.arlegalservices.org/node/48. Documents on both websites are free. Unless your estate is complicated, you can complete these forms without an attorney. As long as you are mentally competent, these documents can be altered at any time should your wishes or circumstances change. Your children love you, and they do not want to think about you growing older or dying; however, once you have had the discussion about your wishes, everyone usually feels relieved.
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Nancy Ryburn holds a doctorate degree in psychology. She teaches psychology at Southeast Arkansas College and maintains a limited private practice in Pine Bluff. If you have questions pertaining to mental health, e-mail them to drnryburn@gmail.com. The questions will not be answered personally, but could appear in a future column. There will be no identifying information and all e-mails remain confidential.