Impairements_02

Chronic Pain
Is pain a symptom or a disease?  Answer:  Both
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6--CMhcCfQ
Biofeedback, TENS, Drugs, Hypnosis, Meditation, Yoga, Massage, Aquatic therapy, Aromatherapy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Herbs, Dietary supplements
Phantom sensation, neuropathic pain (diabetes, shingles)
Acute versus chronic
 Chronic pain lasts more than 6 months
 Never meant to linger, unresolved—like fight or flight (cortisol)
 Often accompanied by anxiety and depression
Coping:
Poetry, Expressive arts, Music (even a new phone app)
The American Chronic Pain Association:  http://theacpa.org/
Remember, Chronic Pain often accompanies other problems:
Arthritis, cancer, cystic fibrosis, thermal injuries (amputations), cardiovascular disease, polio, and other traumatic injuries like spinal cord injuries (p. 266).
Spinal cord injury and neuropathic pain:
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q4/drug-may-reduce-chronic-pain-for-spinal-cord-injuries.html
Contribution of visual art-making to the subjective well-being of women living with cancer: A qualitative study. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455606000906
 “Art blocks out sad thoughts or frightening thoughts and scary bits… but it also moves you on” Art-making provided some participants with new relationships and generally restored feelings of competence and self-esteem. Present-moment awareness was enhanced, enriching perceptual experiences.
“Four or five hours can go by without your realising. It's wonderful. You thought of nothing else. I mean that's the beauty of it”.
Such complete mental absorption was seen as helpful for managing worry as well as the discomforts of treatment and illness, and was reported by both experienced and novice practitioners.
As well as reducing preoccupation with illness, art offered a coping strategy for pain, nausea and sleeplessness. Several had discovered that the more they focused upon their bodies, the more unpleasant their symptoms became. They had learned to break what they regarded as a vicious circle. One participant described coping with pain during sleepless nights:
“It might sound strange, but it [art] is a way of… not thinking of the pain. Or at least you’re thinking of something to take the pain away, rather than the pain itself. So you’re not getting into a vicious circle of saying, ‘I’ve got pain, I must be getting worse’ and then the next minute it is worse.”
WebMD—11 tips for living with chronic pain
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/11-tips-for-living-with-chronic-pain
Fibromyalgia
More common in women than men.  On average, people feel “bad” for 5 years before they get a real diagnosis to explain it all.
It is all encompassing—the whole body.
 Widespread pain/joint discomfort for at least 3 months in all four quadrants of the body
Fatigue, headaches, migraines, depression
The general public discounts the “unseen” disease and asks, “Is it real?”
Medical explanation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aprthkmlE2Q
Living with Fibro: Like waking up every morning after being hit by a truck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aprthkmlE2Q
Emma, age 13 at onset:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkO5ctePcSs
Humorous defense against unbelievers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RnKQSLwPqY


Pain
By Karen Musick
Artists coping with pain and supporting each other:
http://painexhibit.org/galleries/pain-visualized/ag02_Langerak/


“Just Asking” by Harry
I sit bent over in pain
Eyes closed
And I ask please god let me feel your hand on me
And he gently rubs my shoulders
Dear god please take this pain away
And he answers
I can not
Why
He answers it is not
Of my realm
Of what realm is it
He does not answer
I ask all this of the creator and
Each god in his and her turn
Same answer