Sexuality and Pain

I was reading an article in one of my professional newsletters recently about sexuality and pain and it made me do some thinking. Sexuality and intimacy are areas that many people are not comfortable talking about. However, when one or both partners of a relationship suffer limiting pain or disability, this area of their life may be effected - leaving one or both of the victims feeling emotionally strained and physically unfulfilled.

In many of these situations, the frustrations build and the communication between the couples declines into silence and the facts remain behind the walls of the home. In other situations one or both seek gratification elsewhere and relationships begin to crumble and fall apart.

If only these couples would consider talking with their own doctor or a sexual therapist, they might be able to correct a problem and improve this area of their relationship in spite of their limitations and/or pain syndromes. Doctors can order tests to rule out underlying causes for sexual dysfunction. A lack of desire might be related to a medication a patient is taking. In these cases, perhaps a different medication can be prescribed or a dosage be adjusted.

In more complex situations, resolutions may not be quite so easy. Perhaps becoming open-minded, creative, and experimental might be helpful. The web offers a way to obtain information easily in the privacy of your own home. If you are uncomfortable talking to your doctor face-to-face, I encourage you to explore the valuable information about sexual topics at the WebMD Sexual Conditions Health Center. The website is not designed to take the place of seeing your own doctor, but we can help you obtain information.

Related Topics:

• Pain Management: Maintaining Intimacy
• WebMD Video: Sex Saboteurs

Technorati Tags: sex, intimacy, chronic pain, health and wellness

Nurses as Patients

They say doctors are difficult patients but I think nurses can also be. Not that they want to be any more than doctors set out to be. I believe the challenge comes from laying in a bed knowing so much about what goes on - on the other side of it. Knowing that decisions about our care are being made for us, knowing there is an element of control that is lacking can be frightening to us.

We want to know everything that is going on. We want to know what the practitioners are thinking and planning and we want to call all of the shots. But there is a reason why we are in that hospital bed to begin with and that often carries a barrier with it. Perhaps there is an emergent situation attached to it and the doctor or nurse is not in a condition to be involved with the decisions and the plans to the extent he/she would really like to be. Perhaps side effects of medications leave the patient too sedated to interact with the staff during certain rounds causing him/her to miss out on some of the decisions and planning.

In recent years, consumers have become more educated and involved in their care. This has made some practitioners uncomfortable as they have been held more accountable by patients to discuss their plans and answer questions posed by them.

I was talking to a friend of mine who suffers clusters and migraines like I do. We talked about the challenges we have faced as professionals who at times have found ourselves as patients. We talked about what it was like when we have been more knowledgeable than our colleagues about our condition and how it made us feel. It is hard because we do not want to come across as "all-knowing" and yet we want to be sure we are getting the best care possible.

It can be very frustrating when a professional who is qualified and credentialed tries to help a colleague but is shut out by a health care professional who doesn't care or doesn't want to learn. It becomes a concern if that professional is taking care of you. It can become a sticky situation if it isn't diffused quickly. Perhaps the issue can be tactfully addressed by asking to review the plan of care at which time you can have the practitioner clarify the reasoning behind any choices. If there is any concerns they should be voiced immediately and dialog opened at that time. If there is resistance, then perhaps a second opinion is in order.

Another issue my friend mentioned was the fear of asking for pain medication. She said she was afraid of being labeled as a drug-seeker so she suffered in silence. She waited for the nurses to ask her if she needed the meds then she agreed to take them. Or she would ask them to bring them on their next trip down to her room.

It was obvious that she allowed herself to suffer needlessly but the fear of being labeled was significant. She worked at the hospital where she was hospitalized so these were her co-workers she was being cared for by; she didn't want to develop a bad reputation. How difficult a situation that must have been.

When I was hospitalized, I laid it out on the table with each employee. I told them I was concerned about that issue but if I was in pain I was going to ask for my pain meds. As a pain specialist I knew and understood about the issues of addiction, tolerance and dependence and knew I didn't have a problem with any of them. Pain medication is most effective if it is taken when the pain is in its early stages and not when it is out of control. So I would ask for it early on and hope it took care of the situation. If not I would let them know. And I kept track of the characteristics for them so it would help them with their documentation. I figured it was the least I could do for them.

I happened to work at the hospital where I was recently hospitalized as well. And I am thinking about putting together a little in-service presentation in the coming weeks using my admission as a case study on the care of a patient admitted with a pain syndrome. This way I can help educate the staff. They are a wonderful bunch of folks to work with and they did a lot to make me feel better. I look forward to assisting them in their professional growth and development.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Relief for Cluster Headaches
• WebMD Video: Summer Headache Triggers

Technorati Tags: migraine, cluster headache, medicine, chronic pain, nurses, patients, health and wellness

The Practice of Chiropractics

Approximately 9+ months ago, when my rheumatologist recommended I give chiropractics a try for a long-standing back problem, I hesitantly began exploring the role of chiropractics in health care and how it might be able to help my situation.

As I began to experience some of the modalities and started talking with some of the practitioners at the facility where I was being treated, I began to feel that perhaps I may have made some hasty judgments in the past about the profession without taking the time to learn about the discipline. Just maybe I had allowed the attitudes and opinions of others to jade my thinking about the profession without giving it the respect it deserved.

Chiropractors are physicians according to the American Chiropractic Association. They require extensive educational and hands-on practical experience very similar to that of medical doctors. I think it is worth taking a look at an example of an educational comparison between chiropractics and medical curricula.

I have made a point of talking with several of the staff at the facility where I go for chiropractic care on different occasions. One chiropractor has been practicing for over 20 years. He has been continuing his education for many years - keeping up with trends and advances in research and technology. He loves what he does and it shows. His patients call him by name and the rapport he has with them is warm and personable. Not only is his knowledge cutting-edge, his skill-level is sharp. I am comfortable with his care. His colleagues share his enthusiasm. They all enjoy learning and growing professionally and they all seem to enjoy their own special area of interest within the profession which brings a wealth of knowledge to share amongst them all.

It is safe to say that there are circumstances where this may or may not be the right approach to a particular problem. Just like in some cases surgery or acupuncture or any other type of approach may or may not be the right answer to a problem. There is no single right or wrong way to approach any given situation. Chiropractor physicians should be treated with as much respect as any other physician or disciplinary member of the health care team.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Special Report - Checking Out a Chiropractor
• WebMD Video: Spine Adjuster

Technorati Tags: chiropractor, back pain, pain relief, health and wellness