Raise awareness about chronic illnesses by understanding their impact, symptoms, and the importance of support and education.
Taking control of painful symptoms is challenging under even the best of circumstances. Yet, taking affirmative steps in this regard can be empowering. These five tips can help you manage your pain both on your own and in connection with others. 1. Become aware of your baseline pain and create a self-care plan. Gain familiarity with your symptoms. This will allow you to recognize when further intervention or changes need to be made, or if your treatment is working. Next, develop…
Dear Chronicillness.co Fellows, As my mother always warned me that to get older is to feel some aches and pains. And I’m feeling them! My knees, my back, my.… And I’m finding lots of kinship among my middle-aged pals. I keep hearing that CBD helps relieve chronic pain. Is it really the miracle cure it claims to be? If so, I’m tempted to run out and buy some CBD. But I’m cautious and have a…
Pain in your neck. Pain in your back. Pain during that time of the month. We’ve all had pain, some of us more than others. But how much do you really know about how to manage all your aches and pains? We spoke with an expert on pain management to get you the answers you need. Yvonne D’Arcy, MS, CRNP, CNS, is a pain management and palliative care nurse practitioner with more than 20 years…
Whether you live in a bustling metropolis or a quiet rural area, chances are you’ve been touched by the opioid epidemic in some way—or you will be. While many people can safely use prescription opioids, others end up addicted to them. In fact, most people who end up using heroin (an illegal opioid) started by using prescription opioids. Click Here to Visit the Store and find Much More…. Women are more apt than men to…
Why Does Communication Matter to Doctors and Patients Before and After Surgery? Hospitalization and surgery are demanding life events that lead to considerable stress and anxiety in patients. The fear of the “unknown” is a powerful force for the patient especially during the perioperative surgical time period. Unfortunately, medical errors and medications errors are often linked to miscommunication, anxiety and poor patient satisfaction which are common occurrences. Moreover, patients perceive the day of surgery as…
As you may have noticed, products with CBD are now touted for all sorts of conditions, including pain relief (for fibromyalgia, for example), anxiety, depression, insomnia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. But how effective is CBD, what risks are associated with using CBD and why are we suddenly seeing it advertised and sold everywhere? (For example, this flag has appeared outside a small pharmacy across the street from where I live.) Many important questions do not…
This is an amazing time to be a woman in our country. In the past six months alone we’ve had women at the helm of three network morning shows, we’ve had a record number of women running Fortune 500 companies, and our thrilling women’s national team just won the World Cup. But this is not enough. Women aren’t running the three major networks, the record number of Fortune 500 CEOs was just 33, and when…
When it comes to chronic pain management, no one therapy has all the answers. Instead, chronic pain management needs to take individual differences into account and ensure an adequate and unbiased response to treatment. To help get the conversation started on chronic pain management, Chronicillness.co will convene a Chronic Pain Summit on July 17 and 18, in Ellicott City, MD. The event will feature presentations from prominent pain specialists and is designed to foster dialogue…
Your cellphone puts the world at your fingertips, but it can wreak havoc with your neck. There’s even a name for the pain you get when looking down at your screen — “text neck” — and it can cause problems along the entire length of your spine. Bending your head forward multiplies the amount of weight your neck muscles need to support. Normally your neck supports the 10 pounds that your head weighs, but when…
Is arthritis pain getting in the way of your fitness plans? That need not be the case. In fact, physical activity can be vital to your continued mobility. Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that affects about 27 million Americans — most often in the knees and hips, but also in the lower back and neck. Doctors describe it as a degenerative disease — meaning the joint has worn down. Usually that’s from simple wear-and-tear over…