As many area residents probably know, Pennsylvania has a large amount of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users. Exploring the natural beauty of central Pennsylvania by ATV, motorbike, or snowmobile is a common activity among our area's families. However, the converse side to this activity is the potential for serious injury or death. According to a recent report, Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states for the highest numbers of ATV-related deaths. Many families across the country are becoming concerned about the safety and use of ATVs. Some families have created an informative website called Concerned Families for ATV Safety, which can be viewed by clicking this link.
20% Of Americans Suffer From Chronic Pain
A leading psychological news source, PsychCentral.net, recently posted an article about the prevalence of chronic pain. According to their research, about 1 in 5 Americans suffer from daily pain that has spanned 3 or more months. Across the US, these numbers equate to almost 40 million Americans. Women appear to be at a higher risk for chronic pain than men, and minorities appear less likely to report incidences of chronic pain. For more on the article and its research, please click here.
Adolescent Chronic Pain Is Expensive
Recently, NewsWise published an online article that detailed the prevalence of adolescent chronic pain the United States. The article cited research conducted by the American Pain Society's journal, the Journal of Pain. Statistics within the article include the fact that the total U.S. economic burden of adolescent chronic pain is about $19.5 billion every year. About 5% of children and adolescents suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain, and medical costs related to their chronic pain amounts to about $11,000 per year for each child. They also miss a significant amount of school and report a poorer quality of life than many of their peers. For more from the Newswise article, please click here.
Think Twice Before Choose Opioids For Chronic Pain
According to a recent article by the LA Times, it appears that opioid medication may not be a good option for patients suffering from chronic pain. As stated in the article, chronic pain patients who regularly use opioids to manage their pain are at a heightened susceptibility to overdose and become addicted to their prescriptions. Additionally, continual use of opioid medication to manage chronic pain leads to a buildup of tolerance, which may necessitate a higher dose of medication to achieve pain relief. To read more from this article and the corresponding position statement by the American Academy of Neurology, please click here.
Stanford Device Could Treat Chronic Pain
According to a recent news report, a team of Stanford scientists is working on a way to more effectively treat chronic pain. One of the team members, who is an electrical engineer, is currently working on developing tiny robotic devices that be inserted in the body and work to regulate pain signals. These devices are planned to be operated remotely. The researchers involved in this project are hoping that their new technology will provide an effective alternative for chronic pain patients who are not responding to medication and/or have not received any significant benefits from surgery. For more on this cutting-edge research, please read the original article here.
The Stigma Of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is very real and prevalent medical diagnosis, but it is also one that many refuse to accept and acknowledge, whether they are the sufferer of the pain or not. Pain Pathways magazine (Spring 2011) had a brief article addressing the issue of chronic pain and public perception of the disorder. Pain Pathways states that patients suffering from chronic pain have two major social issues to overcome when dealing with their diagnosis--perception that others will think that they are weak for reporting their pain, and fear of job loss if they report the condition to their employers. Additionally, many chronic pain patients also don't want to seek treatment for their condition because they fear that it is untreatable or they don't want to become addicted to pain medications.
4 Year Old Boy Dies In ATV Accident
According to a local news report, a four-year-old Butler County boy recently died as a result of an ATV accident. As many area residents probably know, Pennsylvania has a large amount of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users. Exploring the natural beauty of central Pennsylvania by ATV, motorbike, or snowmobile is a common activity among our area's families. However, the converse side to this activity is the potential for serious injury or death. According to a recent report, Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states for the highest numbers of ATV-related deaths.
What People With Chronic Pain Want You To Know
The Huffington Post covered an article focusing on the few things that people suffering from chronic pain would like others to know. Many people suffering from chronic pain not only deal with the physical pains of the disease, but also the emotional pains that come from having conflict with family and friends over the disease. Sometimes, people with chronic pain find it difficult to do simple, everyday things that healthy people take for granted. This can cause conflict when healthy family members or friends do not fully understand what their pain-enduring counterparts are dealing with.
Nursing Homes May Breed Loneliness
Many of our country's elderly citizens now reside in nursing homes or residential care facilities. Although nursing homes can be a good environment for some residents, others often experience feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression after being admitted to the facility. Too often, these feels last and become chronic feelings that negatively impact the quality of life of the elderly person.
Truck Drivers Also Are Distracted Drivers
When you see tractor-trailers moving along our country's highways, you expect their drivers to be safe, alert, and vigilant. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A local New York City news source just posted an article about the increased occurrence of truck drivers who text and drive. According to the news report, through local ABC news station 13WHAM, "A hidden camera investigation has uncovered a dangerous trend on highways. WABC-TV in New York City set up camera on several of highly travel roadways, catching truckers texting and talking on their phones and one driver even talking on two cell phones at once. The New York State Department of Transportation said nearly 16,000 truckers were ticketed for distracted driving in 2013, but only four of them were suspended and taken out of service." 4 out of 16,000 drivers who were caught texting while driving seems like a tiny percentage!
Chronic Pain in the Workplace
One of the main problems surrounding symptoms of chronic pain is how it influences every aspect of your life. Chronic pain is often not a disorder that changes its symptoms or decreases across situations. Due to this, chronic pain can lead to problems in other aspects of your life, such as socially, athletically, and in workplace performance.
