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Why should pain be a relative term?


So do you often tend to hold your neck, shoulder or back at your workplace? And then do you adjust your sitting position and continue working nevertheless?

At first this happens few times a month, then few times a week, then almost everyday, and then all the time. But you look around and see many people complaining about their neck, shoulder or back pain. And you think it's a common thing and you need not pay any attention since everyone has similar pain. So you ignore and ignore and ignore. Until the point comes when you literally rush to a doctor with pain so unbearable you hate ignoring it all the time. 
Why should pain be such a relative term? Why should you ignore your pain since everyone around has it? And why should you feel embarrassed talking about it?

Let me tell you one thing out of my sheer experience - Such pain is not always due to spondylitis and calcium deficiency as it is often perceived to be. I was diagnosed with myofascitis, then spondyloarthropathy, then ankylosing seronegative spondyloarthropathy. After several years and several opinions I was told I have been misdiagnosed all the while. And now I live with Fibromyalgia!

The fact is, and you better take this fact seriously, that ignoring your pain at every single stage has compounding effects in your near future. 

EXAGGERATION OR DOWNPLAY? First of all, you have already delayed the symptoms a lot. So when you visit the doctor for the first time about it, you are also kind of used to some extent of the pain. So while it might seem exaggeration when you describe the pain, you might be actually downplaying it!
ALL IN THE HEAD? Secondly and shockingly, some doctors do not quite consider all the possibilities. Some do not know as certain medical conditions are not part of the subject in which they specialised. So it might all boil down to painkillers and "it's all in your head thing". Often, neither helps.
 
BENEFIT FROM GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK FOR ONCE!

Thirdly and most importantly, you need to stay informed... always! The first question you need to get answer for is whether you need to see an orthopedic or a rheumatologist. This part is definitely not rocket science. You will find the answer the very day you do some online research about it. Spare some 10 mins from your online timepass routine and 'Google' or 'Facebook' something that really matters to you. Why on earth do you think Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Mark Zuxkerberg were sent to earth ;) Find information about your symptoms and read about reputed doctors and possible treatments.

I am certain that all you remember from your primary education in this regard is that vitamin D deficiency causes rickets and joint pains. Well, also remember we were too young then to be taught everything then. Vitamin D or other deficiencies do cause a lot of trouble. But pain in bones or joints need not always be what you think and can't always be solved just by extra dairy intake and painkillers.

So do yourself a favour - Google up your symptoms NOW. See a specialist. In fact, consult two of them at least - an orthopedic and a rheumatologist. If you do not have a serious medical condition, great! But God forbid if you have, you'll appreciate the doctor's appointment you take today. Don't avoid a doctor's visit since your colleague says, "What's the big deal, nowadays everyone has back pain!"
And unfortunately, if you are diagnosed with a condition with a weird name, talk about it to others and do not simply call it BACK PAIN.

I did that and I was wrong. I have Fibromyalgia and since people did not understand it I kept saying "back pain", which unfortunately is something no one takes seriously. I now struggle to make people understand there are several things I just cannot do. And back pain is still bearable other symptoms are worst, something they can't even imagine.

So if you often happen to hold your neck, back, shoulder or knees due to pain, please take an action for your own good today and spread the word so that others take good care of themselves too. Take care.

2 comments:

  1. my pain is mostly in my hips and legs the most and i c a neurologist after numerous test twenty doctors i have fibromyalgia which they define as a diagnosis of illimination! wish they can illiminate the pain.

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  2. @Anonymous - I can understand as I have gone though a lot of misdiagnosis, but i was diagnosed correctly with the help of my 3rd doc, a rheumatologist. I hope one day we wake up and the pain is all gone! Take care and see you around!

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