Healing Chronic Pain

Sunday, November 12, 2006

November 15 -- Americans are living in pain. Fifty million have chronic pain -- 10 million have back pain, 8 million have fibromyalgia, and about 40 million have chronic headaches. Drugs, injections and surgery are common ways to treat the pain, about half don't benefit from standard treatment. That's why doctors are searching for other ways to stop the ache.

Yoga is one proven method. In a UCLA study, patients with chronic pain reduced their meds and felt better after four weeks.

Researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are using hypnosis to ease pain. Research shows the technique may actually change the way the brain processes pain.

"Hypnosis is effective probably in the range 65 to 70 percent," Sebastian Schulz-Stubner, M.D., Ph.D., an anesthesiologist at University of Iowa, tells Ivanhoe.

Scott Brady, M.D., founder of the Brady Institute for Health/Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida, says stress can overload the body and make pain worse. His program has patients journal, meditate and exercise.

"I was skeptical. All my patients are skeptical," he says. "There's hope. Give it a try; you're going to get better."

Dr. Brady says there are five pain-prone personalities. The perfectionist has something to prove. The people-pleaser worries about being accepted. The legalist has to be right. The stoic holds back real feelings. And the fear-prone expects the worst.

After completing the program, Anna Kercher went from barely able to get out of bed to riding her jet ski with her family. "It's just given me answers, and it's given me hope," she says.

Other studies show acupuncture and good nutrition can help chronic pain.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Jennifer Brown
Health Science Relations
University of Iowa
5137 Westlawn
Iowa City, IA 52242

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