Pain is often an underestimated health condition, and many people do not realise the kind of consequences that could result from not addressing the root cause of their pain. I have had occupational therapy clients who had to quit their jobs and are unable to take on employment, isolated at home because their pain renders them unable to drive and get about in their every day activities. And I can say that it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. If addressed at a much earlier stage, their current condition (unemployment, unable to leave the house, isolated from community) could have been easily prevented, but many people do not necessarily know where to get help, who to get help from, or realise that they need help even.
I have had friends with persistently recurring pain ignore my suggestions about certain lifestyle modifications that they might need to go through to prevent further deterioration. This despite the fact that I'm an occupational therapist and also developed the GR:IN Lifestyle Modification Approach (which I use for clients with chronic pain, weight issues, sleep issues and also for mental health). One of my friends only started to take her health more seriously when her pain had gotten to the point where she started to have episodes so serious that they rendered her bedridden and unable to do her work. Sometimes I see people who despite multiple hospital admissions, are still unable to persist in making the changes in their lifestyle (how to make changes that stick? This will be another topic altogether).
In my talks to the general public, people are generally astonished at the incredibly devastating effect chronic pain can have on our every day lives, but it is not something that happens overnight. Chronic pain is one of those things that creep up on you over time. Like I always tell my occupational therapy clients, your health is where it is today because of an accumulation of factors over a significant time period: 10, 20, 30 years even (for my clients with stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes etc - yes, I see these clients too, and they too suffer from chronic pain, which was what led to my involvement in occupational therapy pain practice), so it is quite unfair to your body to expect it to recover very quickly after implementing a few changes via undergoing occupational therapy for a week or two.
About Me
- Teoh Jou Yin
- Qualified as an occupational therapist in Malaysia, registered in the UK. Former Lecturer and Head of Occupational Therapy in a Malaysian private higher education institute. I take a social justice informed approach and apply an intersectional lens to my work.
Dear Jouyin,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see you have much passion for the work you do. Chronic pain is indeed something that we see very often at the primary care level. In fact, most of the patients with diabetes do suffer from neuropathic pain. So do other working class patients who have chronic lower back pain.
These are very important but usually under appreciated/under reported cause for poor productivity in the country. If you tried to find the prevalence of chronic lower back pain in the Malaysian society, your search will be fruitless. My suggestion as that you do pursue some form of research work along with the fantastic work that you are already pursuing.
Take care and hope this helps.
Rabin