Body
Science News, an independent, nonprofit science news publication, recently featured Shirley Ryan AbilityLab patient Megan H. in a story about the growth in alternative treatments for chronic pain — and how people living with chronic pain could benefit from a broad mix of treatments beyond pharmacological options.
Megan, now 45, has lived with chronic pain and flare-ups since her mid-20s due to several health conditions, including scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, and radiculitis. She benefited from participating in a four-week pain program at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Pain Management Center.
As explained in the Science News article, Megan came to the hospital’s Pain Management Center for its “multitreatment approach” and “comprehensive care that included physical therapists, occupational therapists, pain psychologists and physicians, all of whom collaborated and monitored her progress and well-being.”
Megan is not alone in her experience of chronic pain. The Science News story noted that chronic pain affects tens of millions of people, including about 1 in 5 adults. Researchers are seeking new pain treatments beyond prescription opioids, the “mainstay therapy for severe acute and chronic pain.”
After learning pain management strategies at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Megan has, according to the article, “a road map for how to deal with her pain, as well as the tools and mindset to better navigate future flare-ups.”
About Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Pain Management Center
Body
The Pain Management Center provides a supportive, challenging, active care environment for patients living with chronic pain — with an interdisciplinary approach that includes traditional therapies as well as interventions to help improve patients’ physical and emotional well-being.
