Watch this space!

The first ever blog post from Citizen Pain is coming THIS WEEK! Watch this space!

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Back Pain

Here's a startling statistic: over 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. 80%!! It's such a prevalent issue, many people have devoted their lives to the understanding, treatment and management of back pain. Among these is Iain Barker of Back Pain Liberation , who I sat down and chatted with about all things chronic pain. Take a listen! Link to Amy speaking with Iain on his podcast, here .
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Mental Health Care - A Daily Reality

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Sustained pain or illness will have an effect on mental health. There is no maybe about this. Mind and body are inextricably intertwined and medicine is increasingly aware of this. Patients are treated as a whole and not as a collection of parts, and you too must consider yourself as a whole, with your emotional, psychological and physical well-being all equally important. Pain psychologists, cognitive behavioural therapists, psychologists, counsellors and psychiatrists are extremely important resources that you cannot overlook. No matter what you need help with–whether it's using cognitive behavioural training to reframe your emotional reactions to pain, or seeing a counsellor to talk through your loss of self-esteem, or visiting a psychologist to work through your feelings of anger and grief–there are resources available to you. Many health insurance programs cover (at least partially) the cost of mental health care. When this isn't an option, there wi...
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Being Proactive When New Symptoms Occur

A funny thing happened to me over the holidays: I had an increase in symptoms from one of my chronic conditions. Time and experience has taught me two things: 1. Not every symptom increase is a sign of something worse, and it's always wise to stay calm and monitor yourself, objectively, for a while before reading anything into it. 2. Ignoring new or worsening symptoms in the hopes they are just 'temporary' is a slippery slope, and being proactive about nipping issues in the bud (when possible) is an important part of self-care. Clearly, balancing these two, often opposing, rules is tricky, and not something that gets much easier with practice. Having loved ones around you who can act as your 'sanity-check' and help you decide where the line between these two is can be of great help. Also helpful is a confident, trusting relationship with your doctor. Or, perhaps even more importantly, your doctor's office staff. I've spoken before about the impor...
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