Raise awareness about chronic illnesses by understanding their impact, symptoms, and the importance of support and education.
This is an assignment for my disability studies course in my social work program. The purpose of the assignment is to identify different models of disability in the media by reviewing a news article. This one looks at the construction of the ‘supercrip’ (super cripple) who ‘overcomes his/her disability. Let me know what you think of this image – inspiring or unrealistic? Learning Activity 3.1 The article I chose for this Learning Activity describes how…
Mechanized “smart” undergarments may be the answer to back pain, according to researchers. The Vanderbilt University engineers have created an undergarment that eases stress on the low back and activates only when a wearer needs it. “I’m sick of Tony Stark [the fictional Iron Man] and Bruce Wayne [Batman’s alter ego] being the only ones with performance-boosting supersuits. We, the masses, want our own,” Karl Zelik, principal investigator on the project, quipped in a university…
Coordinated by Monica Mallampalli, PhD, Chronicillness.co’s Advisor for Scientific and Strategic Initiatives, our two-day event aimed to advance and amplify current dialogue on the impact of chronic pain on women’s health. We certainly accomplished our goals. The summit convened leading experts in chronic pain science and treatment, policy experts from federal agencies and national pain advocacy organizations. Pain activists with personal knowledge of the devastation caused by chronic pain conditions also provided their unique insights.…
When it comes to pain–management options, not surprisingly, safe and effective pain relief should be priority number one. What may be surprising, however, is that some treatments have advantages that go beyond pain relief. In fact, there are a number of affordable and convenient pain treatments that work to alleviate symptoms—and come with bonus benefits. The following pain-relief treatments are sustainable, have additional advantages and most importantly they’re often times effective for many types of…
Being a mom is tough enough. When chronic pain is thrown into the mix, it can seem downright impossible sometimes. That’s why there’s one day devoted entirely to finding ways to tell moms how much we appreciate them. Mothers who live with chronic pain have unique struggles that make everyday life a lot harder. Chronic pain can be limiting. For mothers with chronic pain, these limits can interfere with the small, everyday things that other…
As anyone with a disability knows, a disability can definitely complicate life at times—but it certainly doesn’t make life impossible. The same is true of exercising with a disability. Exercise can seriously boost moods, decrease pain, and increase flexibility and balance. In addition, using remaining abilities can help prevent the future loss of those abilities. Exercise is just as important for people with disabilities as for those without. To get an idea of the potential…
Chronic pain is often the after-effect of degeneration, injury, or illness. Part of the body is left damaged somehow, and that damage causes pain. Most pain therapies concentrate on controlling the pain with medications, injections, or devices that block pain signals in one way or another. However, an emerging type of therapy may actually be able to slow or reverse the tissue damage that’s often to blame for chronic pain. Regenerative therapy encourages the body…
The most common way to control pain is with oral medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids) or opioids. Some people don’t respond to these medications, though, while others are unable to tolerate oral pain medications. Nerve blocks are another way of treating pain with medication, but nerve blocks are injected, which increases efficacy and reduces the likelihood of other side effects. Nerve block injections allow the delivery of pain-relieving medication directly to the location…
Certainly most people have experienced a headache or a poor night’s sleep after a stressful day, but in fact it can do a lot more than this. Each person responds differently to stress, and different types have different effects. Types of stress There are three types of stress: acute, episodic acute, and chronic. Acute stress is a burst that comes from a specific incident, like a fender-bender or a work deadline. The potential symptoms of acute stress…
A herniated disc is one of the most painful, debilitating lower back pain conditions. The pain caused by herniated disc is different for each person who experiences it and can even change as the condition progresses. Because this condition can be unpredictable, a herniated disc treatment that works can also vary from person to person. Here’s how to treat a herniated disc. What is a herniated disc? The spine consists of 33 individual vertebrae, each stacked…