Jan 16, 2023
With Rick Olderman, Sports and Orthopedic Therapist and Author
Living with chronic pain can impact the quality of our lives in ways we never
imagined. The debilitating emotional and mental toll of living with ongoing
pain can affect virtually every aspect of our lives. It may become difficult to
function as we once did. In addition to limiting physical movement and functionality, it can interfere with sleep, impact our mood, and wreak havoc on our work and social lives. Studies have shown that some individuals living with chronic pain have trouble being productive and holding jobs. They are also four times more likely to develop problems with depression or anxiety.
Although sometimes chronic pain can be alleviated through surgery or
with medication, that may not be a solution for everyone. It’s hard to do your job when you’re so heavily medicated, so the choice for many patients is living with the ongoing pain, which can lead to frequent absences from work when the pain becomes unbearable. The financial aspects can be staggering. Medical costs and lost wages can destroy family finances, in addition to the toll on our healthcare system where billions are spent caring for patients suffering from chronic pain. But imagine if we were able to control physical pain and discomfort without the need for surgery and daily pain medication. What if it were possible to find other ways to overcome pain and reduce
Inflammation? If you’re looking for alternative solutions for pain relief, you’ll want to listen to my interview with professional Sports and Orthopedic
Physical Therapist, Rick Olderman. He’s spent the past 25 years
helping patients learn to live pain-free.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- What are the most common causes of chronic pain?
- What is the most common misconception about chronic pain?
- Rick talks about suffering from chronic back pain himself.
- What is Sensory Motor Amnesia?
- Rick shares some examples of success stories with patients, and how he’s been able to help them.
- How can depression and emotional trauma affect our chronic pain?
- What exercises does Rick recommend to help minimize occasional minor aches and pains?
- Who should you first turn to if you suffer from chronic pain?
- Rick talks about his new book called Solving the Pain Puzzle and switching from a brick-and-mortar business to online to help more people.
- How do our everyday behaviors contribute to our chronic pain?
- Why is back pain one of the most common types of chronic pain people suffer from, and what role does locking our knees play?
- What is the most common misconception about chronic pain?
Today’s Takeaway:
Living with chronic pain may hurt us mentally, emotionally, and physically. It may sap our energy, emotionally and physically. It may sap our energy, take away our motivation and diminish our enjoyment of daily life. Although surgery may not be an option for every type of pain and commonly prescribed pain medications may not be the answer, that doesn’t mean we
have to accept a life living in constant pain — not when other alternatives are available. Don’t you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to explore every option and you might find the one that’s right for you? The type of help and healing from the pain that Rick described today is just one example and it’s very possible that his approach might prove life-changing for you just as it has for so many of his patients. Remember that living every single day to the fullest is a gift and a healthy body without pain is the very best gift we can give ourselves. I’m Florine Mark and that’s “Today’s Takeaway.”
Quotes:
- “I think we in medicine are not doing a good job understanding pain.” — Rick
- “We’re not doing a good enough job because of how we’ve been trained to look at things from a component standpoint rather than a systems standpoint.” — Rick
- “I do a three-minute plank every day, and it’s good for me!” — Florine
- As a physical therapist, I’m a big advocate of exercise because that helps our body and brain function better.” — Rick
- “Most pain is happening in patterns of dysfunction.” — Rick
- “These home programs that I’ve created are solving the patterns of dysfunction that are causing just about everyone’s chronic pain.” — Rick
- “We as medical providers filter information that could be helpful for our patients through our belief systems.” — Rick
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