CHRONIC PAIN

ILLNESS INSIGHTS BY DR. JIM RYBACKI

Pain can take over your life—don’t let it

Pain gnaws at the very fabric of your life and family when it continues day after day. I’ve lived with a back injury and periodic pain and cramping and truly understand how compromising this can be. I remember walking down the halls of a major medical center recently and having my back spasm and almost send me to my knees. Still, with the right combinations of physical therapy, exercise, and medicines, life can be good for much of the time. At the very least, there can be a lot of good days and weeks!

Our understanding of pain, the nerves involved, and the chemicals that send those messages has improved dramatically over the last ten years. Pain has come to be required to be viewed as the fifth vital sign in hospitals. This is why you now get a pain assessment when you are admitted to any US hospitals and nurses or clinical pharmacists follow up regularly.

Juggling the medicines with side effects (possible constipation, sleepiness), PT appointments, family, and the life you want to lead can be challenging. There are a ton of nonprescription medicines to help with the pain and swelling (inflammation) and some people also need a strong prescription to do the things they normally do in a day.

Be sure to talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the pills you take and talk to your doc about drug safety, side effects, and potentially harmful drug interactions. Take a deep breath, and I’ll help you navigate through what can often be a confusing combination of medical news, the latest treatments, the FDA removing drugs from the market, new guidelines, research and the ever-changing world of prescription drugs!

I am Dr. James Rybacki [author of The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs] and YOUR personal advocate and guide through the confusing – and potentially dangerous – the world of illness, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs (OTC), herbs, and herbal supplements!  My videos, information packets, newsletters, and books will explain medical terminology, treatment options, and drug use/safety in clear, easy-to-understand language.

While other sites provide drug information, I go beyond the basics and concentrate on possible drug interactions, minor AND serious potential side effects, the safety of the drug with pregnant or nursing women—in short, more than 40 categories of information in the Essential Guide to Prescription Drug profiles. Patient and family-centered care are key concepts I believe in and I give you the information you NEED to take control of your health and the health of your family!

Whether your pain comes from a failed back surgery, fibromyalgia, arthritis, cancer, or some other source– your involvement in your own treatment and recovery WILL make a difference! Insist that YOU and YOUR Family are the centers of the medical team– become an informed, educated patient!

I’ll show you how and keep you up to date as the research and medicines change for chronic pain!

All the best,

Dr. Jim

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