CHRONIC PAIN
by Susan Pataky
Pain is a silent epidemic in the United
States. An estimated 50 million Americans live with chronic pain caused by disease, disorder or accident. An additional 25
million people suffer acute pain resulting from surgery or accident according to a National Pain Survey, conducted for Ortho-McNeil
Pharmaceutical in 1999. The most common types of pain include arthritis, lower back, bone/joint pain, muscle pain and fibromyalgia.
A survey done by the American Pain Society in
1999 revealed that more than four out of ten people suffering moderate to severe pain were unable to find adequate pain relief.
Pain in America: A Research Report, Survey
conducted for Merck by the Gallup Organization, states that the loss of productivity and daily activity due to pain
is substantial. In this study done in 2000 it was reported that 36 million Americans missed work in the previous year due
to pain and that 83 million indicated that pain affected their participation in various activities.
People with chronic pain have difficulty finding doctors who can effectively
treat their pain. In the 1999 study, The Chronic Pain in America: Roadblocks to Relief , it found that one out
of four pain patients had changed doctors at least three times, reporting that the primary reason for change was that they
still experienced pain. Other reasons given were that their pain was not taken seriously; that doctors were unwilling to treat
pain aggressively; and that doctors lacked knowledge about how to treat pain.
The search for pain relief is a primary motivator for many students seeking yoga classes.
In some cases yoga classes in group setting are appropriate and of great relief. This always requires close communication
with the instructor who should provide alternatives to the asanas (poses) which would include use of props and scaled back
versions of the asanas. Most pain sufferers, especially those in diseased states, require an "eagle-eye" focus with
an experienced yoga therapist in a private setting.
One-on-one,
private settings allow for safe detailed assessment of current capabilities which enable the therapist to offer more gentle
yet elaborate options for current conditions or diagnosed conditions. The therapist can carefully select, modify, and
adapt individualized practices. More importantly techniques that emphasize and teach one how to slow down and listen to their
bodies and most importantly help recognize the detrimental effects of trying too hard or pushing beyond physical limitations.
Yoga therapy combines contemporary medical science,
wellness physiology, and mental health with traditional yogic practices in ways that transform both the practice and its outcome.
Teaching yoga to students and clients who suffer from chronic pain and want to apply the therapeutic benefits of yoga to improve
the quality and longevity of their lives is both rewarding and wonderful alternative to life long use of pain medication.
By using a multidisciplinary approach to reduce pain-related suffering one can discover a fresh infusion of creativity, energy,
and inspiration for the much deserved restoration of quality of life.
