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How Can Constant Pain In A 61 Year Old Be Managed?

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Posted on Sat, 22 Jul 2017
Question: I'm 61 years old in constant pain, I am 120 pounds overweight and feel hopeless, how can I get started on a path to recovery
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (23 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
several points.

Detailed Answer:
depends on the meaning of pain and recovery.
The weight I can give some information on:
the diet books have it wrong and even the medical ones don't actually get it all that right lately; the previous work of Dr. XXXXXXX Schacter and others about 50 years ago had the situation with obesity better handled than it is generally handled in the textbooks today. The fundamental problem isn't finding the right foods, it's eliminating the triggers and habits of overeating that cause obesity.

This gets tricky in the context of chronic pain.
So, diet diary detailing every mouthful. This generally shows where the overeating is coming from. THen based onthis there are specific ways to target particular habits.

PAIN
Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment.

Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain.

Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it "hit a nerve" would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerve

What hurts. Moving a particular way that triggers the pain tells what is hurting. Specifically it can distinguish outward structures like skin, muscles, tendons, joints from deep structures like organs and nerves.

``     Having a diagnosis leads to choice of medicine for the pain. Inflamed outer structures respond to treating inflammation. Inner structures need diagnostic tests because something internal is broken. MRI's.

And, structures that cannot be fixed need adaptations. Physical therapy, pillows, supportive structures internal and external.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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How Can Constant Pain In A 61 Year Old Be Managed?

Brief Answer: several points. Detailed Answer: depends on the meaning of pain and recovery. The weight I can give some information on: the diet books have it wrong and even the medical ones don't actually get it all that right lately; the previous work of Dr. XXXXXXX Schacter and others about 50 years ago had the situation with obesity better handled than it is generally handled in the textbooks today. The fundamental problem isn't finding the right foods, it's eliminating the triggers and habits of overeating that cause obesity. This gets tricky in the context of chronic pain. So, diet diary detailing every mouthful. This generally shows where the overeating is coming from. THen based onthis there are specific ways to target particular habits. PAIN Several features of pain can be helpful in clarifying what is going on and the next steps for diagnosis and treatment. Type of pain. Burning mostly means a nerve is having problems. This can be either a sick nerve or a nerve that has had an injury. Electrical, shooting would be others implying nerve source for pain. Location of pain. There is a lot to this. First, if something goes in the pathway of a nerve, then that is the nerve involved. Nerves are long and the pain is in a belt-like long pathway. Smaller areas are smaller nerves. This also tends to say what might be going on. Obviously if there was an injury to the area and then there was pain outward from it "hit a nerve" would be a possibility. Sick nerves are MULTIPLE areas and tends to be the TIPS of the nerve not the whole nerve What hurts. Moving a particular way that triggers the pain tells what is hurting. Specifically it can distinguish outward structures like skin, muscles, tendons, joints from deep structures like organs and nerves. `` Having a diagnosis leads to choice of medicine for the pain. Inflamed outer structures respond to treating inflammation. Inner structures need diagnostic tests because something internal is broken. MRI's. And, structures that cannot be fixed need adaptations. Physical therapy, pillows, supportive structures internal and external.