Managing chronic pain

Jody Gardner had joints in her feet removed to reduce the pain and enable her to walk "more like normal."

She had a hot tub installed at home to supplement the warm-water exercise she enjoys and needs.

She watches what she eats, exercises regularly and has developed a close working relationship with her doctor.

When you have chronic pain, as she does, you keep trying things until something brings relief.

Gardner was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 22; doctors figure she'd already had it for some time even then. Forty years later, chronic pain is just one aspect of the woman's active life. "I do so much better now than I ever did when I was young. I do know how to manage it," she said.

Others are still learning to live with pain. The American Chronic Pain Association says people in the United States are living a "lifestyle of pain." Headaches, back injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's disease, neuropathy and many other medical problems or injuries can be associated with chronic pain. There are also cases of real pain with no clear medical cause.

The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations says that nearly a third of Americans will experience chronic pain sometime. It's estimated that about 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, the No. 1 cause of adult disability in the United States, JCAHO says, adding that chronic pain accounts for about $100 billion in lost productivity and is the major cause of worker absenteeism. Dr. Lynn Webster, president of the Utah Academy of Pain Medicine (a local chapter of the American Academy), who also directs Lifetree Clinical Research and Pain Clinic, said the numbers are probably higher. About half of us will experience chronic pain at some point, he said. And he warns that the pain itself can become a debilitating disease if it's not controlled or people don't learn to cope with it. "As it exists over time, it changes the central nervous system in ways that contribute to the problem."

Meanwhile, many of the medications used for chronic pain such as Vioxx have either been pulled from the shelves or warnings issued about potential complications and side effects, some as serious as increased risk of heart attack.