You know how your chronic pain feels. But how do you feel about your pain? This question probably conjures up a lot of negative, even angry feelings, and rightfully so; living with pain can be a real challenge.

While it’s natural to react to your pain with negativity, there’s a very good reason to try and overcome your gloomy disposition: you may be making it worse.

If you live with chronic pain, you’ve probably become something of an expert on the subject. You know about your pain; what activities cause or exacerbate it, what times of day or night to most expect it, what not to do to amplify your pain condition and what methods help to relieve your discomforts.

But because pain is subjective, no one else can know your pain the way you do, and in turn, you can’t possibly know what someone else’s suffering feels like. Everyone experiences pain in different ways, and each individual has their own unique threshold for what they consider to be unbearable or excruciating. Varying factors such as age, gender, mental or emotional state can have significant impact on how a perceives the level of their pain.

According to the Diabetes Research Institute, there are 30+ million people in the United States who have diabetes. This statistic includes people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Primary care physicians are quite often the first to diagnose Diabetes symptoms in patients, and therefore represent a critical link to early detection and treatment. Depending on the type and severity of the Diabetic condition, a patient may also be referred to an Endocrinologist for additional, more specialized Diabetes treatment.

Unless your eyes are very sensitive to light, street lights won’t have a direct effect on your level of chronic pain. But did you know that there is an indirect correlation between nighttime lights and how intensely you experience your pain?

Multiple studies have found that there is a strong link between sleep disruptions and pain, each affecting the other in what is often a vicious cycle of discomfort. Lack of sleep can intensify the pain you already feel, and your chronic pain can interrupt or prevent your sleep.

The human body can send mixed signals when it comes to the source of pain. Where something hurts doesn’t always correspond with the actual origin of your injury or pain condition.

One common example of this scenario is with the case of arm pain. Numbness, tingling or discomfort in the arm doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an injury or condition in the arm itself. Pain such as this can be frequently attributed to deterioration, inflammation or trauma in the spine.

When you suffer from chronic pain, it can be especially frustrating if your physician cannot determine why you’re feeling the pain. You may have had several doctor visits and multiple examinations, with no apparent reason for the source of your discomfort.

If you’ve never consulted with a pain management physician for relief from chronic pain, you may think all pain doctors are alike. But when it comes to effective treatment for your suffering, nothing could be farther from the truth.

There are thousands of pain specialists throughout the United States, many of whom are board-certified for one or more specialties related to pain conditions. So, when it’s time to seek help for your individual pain situation, how do you know what to look for?

As a primary care physician, you tirelessly dedicate your time and expertise in helping your patients enjoy a better daily life by addressing physical issues that may be diminishing their quality of living.

When your patients are in pain, you seek ways to accurately diagnose and relieve their pain so they can return to a more active, pleasurable lifestyle. But as all physicians understand, it’s not always easy to pinpoint the source of their pain conditions, much less determine what treatment protocol will serve to bring them the most relief.

Authored by Dr. Myrdalis Diaz-Ramirez

One of the most amazing advances in modern medicine comes from regenerative medicine. This idea that we have medicinal capabilities to help ourselves in our own healing is incredible.

Stem cells are cells that can procreate other cells or help with the inflammatory process depending on the specific cell type and stage of life of the person. It has been discovered that different products from our own bodies can help with inflammation or regeneration in different situations and could potentially help with pain and healing, thus opening this newer area of medicine called regenerative medicine.

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Sarasota Pain Relief Centers will be presenting a FREE Community Lecture Series in honor and support of Pain Awareness Month. Sarasota PRC pain management physicians will be speaking LIVE at the event on topics related to the latest interventional treatment options available for patients suffering from chronic pain.

One of the featured presentations at the event will be a discussion on the topic of “Head to Toe: Non-Opioid Alternatives for Pain”, presented by Dr. Myrdalis Diaz-Ramirez of Sarasota Pain Relief Centers.

This subject is of great interest to many area patients who suffer from chronic pain conditions but are reluctant to risk the side effects and potential for addiction that may be associated with opioid medications.