Today I want to talk about what I do when I catch myself mismanaging my chronic pain. Today I developed a migraine and didn’t practice what I teach so well. I waited too long to take action was the first mistake.

Then when I did take care of myself and then managed the symptoms I felt a lot better but was still feeling very irritated and agitated and took it out on my wife–and it was her birthday. Once I noticed I was doing it I stopped and practiced my favorite pain management tool - Avoidance by Distractions. What I mean by that instead of focusing on my pain and irritation I focused on having fun and helping my Ellen celebrate her birthday.

I discuss this and many other effective tools to obtain freedom from suffering and more effective chronic pain management in my book Freedom from Suffering: A Journey of Hope. For more information or to purchase my book please click here.

Please see my video below.

You can learn about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you or someone you love is living with chronic pain and seems to be suffering; please consider my book Freedom from Suffering: A Journey of Hope. This book was written for people living with chronic pain who are ready to learn and then put into practice seven strategic steps that will help them better manage their chronic pain condition, improve their quality of life, end suffering, and achieve their cherished goals. To purchase my Freedom from Suffering book please Click Here.

To read the latest issue of Chronic Pain Solutions Newsletter please click here. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, please click here and input your name and email address. You will then receive an autoresponse email that you need to reply to in order to finalize enrollment.

Today I got to have fun and was interviewed by CBS 3 in Philadelphia about my East Coast Addiction-Free Pain Management® Center of Excellence. Valley Forge Medical Center (VFMC) offers innovative Breakthrough Chronic Pain Management (BCPM) services developed specifically for those patients suffering from co-occurring issues of chronic pain and substance abuse and/or addiction. I have trained many of the VFMC staff in the Addiction-Free Pain Management® system and they are implementing this model to provide positive outcomes for their chronic pain patients. You can reach them by calling Toll-Free (888) 539-8500.

Please watch my interview below.

You can learn about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people undergoing chronic pain management and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders; including depression, addiction and other coexisting psychological disorders effectively; please consider my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

To read the latest issue of Chronic Pain Solutions Newsletter please click here. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, please click here and input your name and email address. You will then receive an autoresponse email that you need to reply to in order to finalize enrollment.

Today I want to talk about a new research from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) on Persistent Post Surgical Pain: A View From The Other Side Of The Fence. I believe that it’s important for patients to have pre and post surgical education and psychosocial support.

I also want to share a portion of my Addiction-Fee Pain Management® Module Four: A Guide for Managing Pain and Medication in Recovery titled Tips on Pain Management as a Patient at In or Outpatient Hospitals for people in recovery from addictive disorders.

1. When you need an invasive procedure or surgery the recovering patient needs to be. given opiates. The important difference in the discharge instructions is that the recovering patient must have a designated medication support person. This person will keep the prescription (obviously they are reliable and not drug seeking) and will provide the patient with a daily supply. The 24 hour supply is usually one pill every 4 to 6 hours. The dose can usually be decreased within 72 hours. If a dose of medication creates euphoria this is a clear indication the pain level is less severe and this is a critical point at which the medication can be changed or decreased.

2. When managing pain in the post-operative period it is helpful to create two scales within a 1 to 10 boundary. The first scale is for pain where no pain is rated as a level 0; Level 10 is for extreme severe intensity. It is often helpful to dose opiates on a scheduled vs. as necessary basis for the first 24 hours. If the pain breaks through the scheduled dose add the second medication when the pain is at a level 2 or 3. The second scale designates anxiety where a level 0 is no anxiety, and level 10 is a panic attack. If the pain is difficult to manage, contact your pain management and addiction management health care professional.

Please watch my video below to learn more about the IASP Research.