We want to be sure the person doesn't have cancer. Our job here is treating pain. More then 50 million people in the United States suffer from chronic pain, and more than half of them have been in pain for more than five years. Even though pain is experienced differently, there are ways of measuring it. Your doctor might have you rate it on a scale of 1-10 or refer you to a treatment center for a thorough pain evaluation.
Doctors take a conservative approach to treating chronic pain.
Aside from standard pain drugs such as aspirin, Advil or Tylenol, some people find relief from chronic pain with antidepressant or anticonvulsant drugs. Follow this up with biofeedback or physical therapy. Biofeedback teaches patients ways to relax and reduce stress. It enables you to control autonomic body functions like heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension. The medical profession divides pain into two categories, either acute or chronic.