How to Understand Chronic Pain

Male Speaker: 50-year old bachelor David Daniels was in agonizing pain on a daily basis. David Daniels: My feet felt like they were on fire; I'd be scrunched up in pain. I scream, I cry out, I begged for relief, couldn't find it. Male Speaker: When we feel pain we're actually experiencing in elaborate relay of signals that travel rapidly through our bodies. For instance, if we prick our finger with a pin, nerves carry a message to the spinal cord that something has penetrated the skin. This message is then sent to the brain, which recognizes that a painful stimulus has occurred. Dr. Steven Passik: If you look at all the people in America who have pain, 90% of them will have an injury and will be better within a matter of a few months. An awful lot of people work around like that, but then it becomes chronic to the tune of 50-70 million people in this country, who now have chronic pain. Male Speaker: Dr. Passik, a psychologist says several components figure into the complex equation of chronic pain. Dr. Steven Passik: Chronic pain is a very complicated phenomenon. It's physical, it's emotional, it can be spiritual, it affects the family, the art is to meet each individual chronic pain patient, figure out the ways in which the pain is affecting that person in their world, in their family and then direct them to the right treatments. Male Speaker: With the help of Dr. Passik and his pain management colleagues, David Daniels, an avid -- was given a medication regimen that dramatically improved the pain and its side effects. David Daniels: I was very depressed because of the pain and they put me on medications for my depression and then that's worked great for that too. Male Speaker: 33-year older Rebecca Mayden from Fort Pierce, Florida credits pain injections as well as her family support and a barn full of oversized pets for giving her life back. Rebecca Mayden: I never thought I would be excited about having injections done. Male Speaker: Rebecca has been under the care of Dr. Salahadin Abdi for the past three years. Dr. Abdi is the Department Chair of the Pain Center at The University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Salahadin Abdi: Putting together good history and a good physical examination generally would lead you to a good and appropriate diagnosis of the pain. And once you have the right diagnosis, you will be able to tailor your treatment option. Male Speaker: Rebecca says the treatment options Dr. Abdi prescribed made a tremendous difference, giving her much greater movement in her neck and shoulders. Rebecca Mayden: I have the injections and 24 hours later, I'm starting to get the range of motion back. I can drive again. I'm able to feed the horses on my own again. Within three days, I'll have almost all of my range of motion back. Male Speaker: Chronic pain can affect anyone at any time. It has numerous causes, it is difficult to measure and often challenging to treat but thanks to therapeutic advances and curing specialist, many courageous patients like David and Rebecca are overcoming their pain and regaining control of their lives.