Citizen Pain

We've all been there, right? Faced with a consent form, or authorization form (or, frankly, any form) that's considered a formality. Boilerplate language, cut and pasted from a template. You might scan it, but doing so doesn't really give you any new information. You sign it, and move on. Efficiency is the name of the game. A standard medical release form. Medical information release forms are a fairly standard requirement for almost any cross-communication between doctors or healthcare providers in different systems, specialties or regions. And why wouldn't you sign it? I'm all for better communication among my healthcare team; the care I receive will be better the more they all talk to and learn form each other about my ailments. Putting barriers in their way can't help. And all medical practices have rigorous confidentiality and data protection systems in place. I am not one for the conspiracy theories that say medical offices are spraying your ...

An excitable shout-out for ONE MONTH TO GO until Taming Chronic Pain hits the shelves! Excited? You should be! Read the advance reviews and pre-order your copy today to make sure you get in on the first print-run!

Exercising when in chronic pain is an overwhelming task. Yes, it's necessary as part of your overall healthcare, but god does it hurt. And until you're very familiar with your body and your exercise options, whether or not you inadvertently hurt yourself is a game of chance. But staying active is important for both your physical and mental health, so here are some tips to help you get back into your running shoes: Types of Exercise Stretching - this increases mobility, range of motion and flexibility, decreases pain, and softens the impact of more rigorous exercise. Strengthening - use your own body weight or weights to exercise and tone specific muscles. Helps with resilience and overall strength. Cardiovascular - gets your heart racing, and has enormous long term health benefits. Remember that there are low impact options that will still provide the important benefits you are looking for. Safest Exercises for Those with Chronic Pain Remember to start slo...

Taking care of yourself and taking care of your kids is hard enough without throwing chronic pain into the mix. And for those living with pain, there just isn't much choice: you do what you have to do as a mom, and then worry about what you can do for yourself. It need not be this way though. Living with pain is much harder without a chronic pain management strategy, and that strategy should be part and parcel of your long-term child care plans. You are no use to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion or run yourself into the ground. Educate yourself about some practical, achievable self-care methods to help you build your own chronic pain management plan, that works with your schedule and family routines. The books mentioned in the list found here are a great place to start! Self-care is not self-indulgent; learn how you can feel well and take care of your family.