http://www.howtocopewithpain.org A guide to coping with pain. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:55:19 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The information found at this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you read here or elsewhere.  As well, never change treatment, or stop or start ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/disclaimer.html I’m a Board Certified Psychiatrist in practice for 15 years in Pennsylvania.  I have a private practice, working mostly with patients in chronic pain.  I also teach psychiatry residents and do research in chronic pain.  My guiding principle in practicing as a physician is to help patients in all areas ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/biography.html The following are several pain management organizations with websites that have many resources. I encourage you to join patient organizations, and if you’re financially able to, to contribute to their excellent work. In general I believe these are sound and valuable sites, but I don’t monitor what they post, and as ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/pain-organizations.html To start, try some basic changes that can help you sleep better.  These are often called “sleep hygiene techniques.” 1. Use your bedroom only for sleep (and sex).  This is so your mind associates your bedroom with sleep, rather than work, TV, reading, etc. 2. Develop a “getting-ready-for-sleep” routine.  Again, this helps your mind ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/how-to-get-better-sleep.html Unfortunately, sleep difficulties often go along with chronic pain.  Even in people without pain, occasional sleep problems are common – 75% of people report occasional sleep problems.  But for people with chronic pain, sleep problems can be worse, for reasons which include... Pain.  Falling asleep can be difficult because pain keeps ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/sleep-issues.html The post How to Reduce That Stress lists many suggestions for reducing your stress.  And you might have even thought, “yes, those are good ideas” or “well, maybe I’ll try one of those tomorrow.”  While those ideas were easy to read, it’s a bit harder to actually get yourself to ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/pick-a-specific-way-to-reduce-your-stress.html Despite having chronic pain, you can reduce your stress levels.  And this is important for your physical and emotional health.  These tips may decrease your pain, and anxiety or depression.  Share these tips with your family and friends, too. Exercise Eat a balanced diet Time management          ...leave extra time in your schedule to ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/stress-management.html You may be referred to a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker to help you cope with chronic pain.  Before you run the other way, read on… Does this mean my doctor thinks the pain is “in my head,” or I’m crazy?  No.  Chronic pain is real.  Often, it is also very hard ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/should-i-see-a-pain-management-psychiatrist-psychologist-or-therapist.html As there are many types of chronic pain, there are many options for who can evaluate and treat your chronic pain.  There are 2 issues I think are most important: 1.  First, know what body system your pain is in. Many fields of medicine treat disorders that cause pain.  For example, a ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/see-chronic-pain.html Chronic pain is hard!!  And if you’re living with chronic pain, you know this all too well.  I believe there are many sides to the chronic pain problem that add up to making it one of the hardest things to cope with. First is the pain itself.  Almost everyone has had ... http://www.howtocopewithpain.org/resources/chronic-pain-hard.html