Pain relief is more that how you feel on one given day. If you feel good for a day or two, but then your symptoms return, it is like having to start all over again. That begins to affect 4 areas. Activity level, your emotions, relationships and your future.

Activity. Over time, people stop doing as much activity at work, at home and recreation-ally when the same old pain shows up repeatedly. Lowered activity is not a good plan for feeling good about yourself. We have a wonderful blend of hormones when we are doing our best. Areas of activity that decline almost always begin with exercise. Then, weekend outings are something that one might lose interest in. Gradually, church, visiting friends and personal projects are items that we avoid as we choose to play it safe and just survive.

Emotions. When we face the same obstacle again and again, our emotions become hazy. We lose the pep of waking up and living and we just try to get through the day. Ask yourself, do I want to resolve this health problem I am having or just hide it temporarily? If your body hurts and your heart hurts, then your family members/friends will notice that you are 'not the same.' Erosion of emotions makes a great person less that what they used to be.

Relationships. When we hurt every day, we are less patient and we are less kind. The people we live with suffer as a result because we are unable to give to our loved ones fully. Chronic pain causes relationships to suffer.

Future. If you have been told you have arthritis or that your pain is just part of aging, then the obvious implication is that your symptoms will never go away. That does not paint a picture of the future which is bright. By the way, the arthritis and aging theories are not scientific and are not valid. If you are wondering about these subjects, ask me about it. I have researched them both extensively.

I hope you can see that pain is more than just an unpleasant physical feeling. It can dominate a life. That is why I recommend going through a series of adjustments with me so that your body can stabilize, heal and thrive. I really want to do more than just help you feel better for a few weeks, I want you to be healthy and strong.

Maintenance care. My goal is for you to be able to make it an entire month without pain. A healthy body can work full time, exercise and deal with stress without 'falling apart.' Dr. Russell Delaino