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L i v e Yo u n g e r L o n g e r
But they don’t. Patients referred to the Pain Management Clinic will
encounter a team that’s ready to assess and address their pain.
“Each person has a different functional level, a different lifestyle,” says
Dr. Young. “Our team takes a whole-person approach — we want
to use treatments geared toward a patient’s life and the activities
they enjoy.” After evaluating a patient’s medical records, pain history
and functional level, Dr. Young focuses on providing information. He
believes knowledge is key to regaining some of the control chronic
pain takes away.
“Information truly is power,” he says. “I often tell my patients, ‘Before
you undergo any type of treatment, I want you to understand your pain
first.’” He sees his role as both educating patients and empowering
them to take charge. “One thing I tell patients is: “Think of your body
as your domain, where you are the landlord or landlady. And you’ve
got a contract with a tenant who plays the drums all night. You can’t
get rid of the tenant because you signed the contract. However, you
should not allow the tenant to control the house — because you’re
still the landlord. So the question is, how do you get control?’”
Taking charge
To help patients take control, the pain management team begins
with conservative approaches, such as:
n
Physical therapy.
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Exercise.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Lifestyle changes, like smoking cessation or weight loss.
Unfortunately, there’s another
kind of pain you also can’t ignore:
chronic pain. This is pain that
continues for three months or
more, lingering well beyond the
normal healing time for an injury
or illness. Anyone, at any age, can
develop it. In fact, 1 in 3 Americans
is living with some kind of chronic
pain — from spinal arthritis to
fibromyalgia, from migraine
headaches to cancer pain. Too
often, chronic pain steals things
that give meaning to our lives, like
the ability to work or play sports, to enjoy time with loved ones, or
to simply get a good night’s sleep.
Fortunately, there’s hope. According to Michael Young, DO,
interventional pain specialist at Ukiah Valley Medical Center’s Pain
Management Clinic, there are more options than ever for helping
people with chronic pain reclaim their lives.
Knowledge is power
“When people think about what pain management was in the past,
they might think only about acupuncture, chiropractic care or pain
medicines,” Dr. Young says. “If they have exhausted those options,
they might think pain is just something they have to live with for the
rest of their lives.”
1
in
3
Americans has
some kind of
chronic pain
A team approach
to managing your
Learn how you can get relief
What does a paper cut have in common with a sprained ankle? Both hurt, of course. Plus, as
they heal, the pain goes away. And while you may not enjoy a throbbing thumb or an aching
ankle, this type of discomfort (doctors call it acute pain) is actually a good thing. It sends a
message you can’t ignore: Stop what you’re doing — you may need a bandage or a doctor.
chronic
pain
