The Cost of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain affects about 100 million American adults, and costs our nation up to $635 billion each year (2012, National Institute of Health). Pain is officially a public health problem.
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Not surprisingly, pain medications are a go-to solution for most of us who experience such pain on a regular basis. But did you know that pain medications are actually highly overused? A consumer report published in the Washington Post (2011) reports a study that found one in four people who used over-the-counter pain relievers every day routinely took more than the recommended dose. This is very scary, since even nonprescription pain blockers can have serious side effects like kidney problems, stomach ulcers and bleeding, particularly when used persistently.
Pain medications can also cause physical dependence and even tolerance, requiring greater doses to continue their effectiveness. Considering also the financial cost of over the counter drugs, it’s not hard to see that this pain/pain medication cycle is a serious problem.
So what are your options? Of course the most obvious and beneficial option to your personal wellness and the public health is prevention. Leading a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise will ensure in most cases that your body works optimally, thus preventing pain. Other options include natural health therapies like herbal medicines, massage and acupuncture, which have all shown effectiveness against chronic pain.
Or you can use a Unimed TENS Massager. A once-off purchase of a Unimed Massager will give you hours and hours of pain relief and relaxation in the privacy of your own home, without the need for drugs and their side effects. Backed by a 5 year warranty, our TENS devices use state-of-the-art TENS and EMS technology to reduce your pain by blocking the pain messages sent from your achy muscles to your brain, whilst also causing the release of endorphins, or the “happy chemical” of the brain. This leaves you feeling relaxed, pain-free, drug-free, side-effect free, and with more dollars in your pocket :)
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Not surprisingly, pain medications are a go-to solution for most of us who experience such pain on a regular basis. But did you know that pain medications are actually highly overused? A consumer report published in the Washington Post (2011) reports a study that found one in four people who used over-the-counter pain relievers every day routinely took more than the recommended dose. This is very scary, since even nonprescription pain blockers can have serious side effects like kidney problems, stomach ulcers and bleeding, particularly when used persistently.
Pain medications can also cause physical dependence and even tolerance, requiring greater doses to continue their effectiveness. Considering also the financial cost of over the counter drugs, it’s not hard to see that this pain/pain medication cycle is a serious problem.
So what are your options? Of course the most obvious and beneficial option to your personal wellness and the public health is prevention. Leading a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise will ensure in most cases that your body works optimally, thus preventing pain. Other options include natural health therapies like herbal medicines, massage and acupuncture, which have all shown effectiveness against chronic pain.
Or you can use a Unimed TENS Massager. A once-off purchase of a Unimed Massager will give you hours and hours of pain relief and relaxation in the privacy of your own home, without the need for drugs and their side effects. Backed by a 5 year warranty, our TENS devices use state-of-the-art TENS and EMS technology to reduce your pain by blocking the pain messages sent from your achy muscles to your brain, whilst also causing the release of endorphins, or the “happy chemical” of the brain. This leaves you feeling relaxed, pain-free, drug-free, side-effect free, and with more dollars in your pocket :)
