Many years ago, as part of my
practice-based research, I found
something surprising – that the
length of time my patients had experienced
chronic pain did not
seem to relate to how long it took
them to recover.
A short time ago, while flying
from Amsterdam to Boston, my
seatmate was an amiable anesthesiologist
from northern Britain on
his way to a chronic pain conference.
After some enjoyable small
talk our conversation turned to
pain, an area of mutual professional
interest. Unlike many general
clinicians, this gentleman and I are
both only really one trick ponies.
For me, my trick was managing
injury to the upper neck and the
chronic consequences of untreated
injury to that region – often involving
significant pain; for him,
it was managing pain without an
apparent alternative solution.
When I told him about my preliminary
practice-based research findings
of the lack of relationship between
the length of time headache
pain has been present and the time
required for recovery, his surprise
was evident and resulted in an extended
conversation about why
that relationship might not exist.
To people experiencing pain, it is
a real thing - however, pain is
multifaceted and personal that the
best way to measure it involves
asking the patient for their opinion.
Pain is a perception, and although
it is real if you have it,
chronic pain is not something that
seems to submit to the space-time
continuum in a manner that most
health care practitioners believe.
If you are suffering from persistent
pain, my hope for you is that
you continue to search for the solution
or group of solutions that
most effectively help you manage.
As you search, remember that if a
treatment is addressing the underlying
cause of your pain, help
might not be that far away.
Cracking The
Chronic Pain Puzzle
by Dr. Jeff Scholten
Dr. Jeff Scholten has been in private practice in Calgary, Alberta, Canada since 2001, and is the clinic
director and owner of The Vital PostureTM Clinic. Dr. Scholten is a Board Certified Diplomate in Chiropractic Craniocervical Junction
Procedures and is currently the only Canadian to hold the distinction of being a Fellow in Chiropractic Craniocervical Junction
Procedures. Dr. Scholten is President of the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) and also serves as a member
of the board of directors of the International Chiropractic Association’s Council on Upper Cervical Care, the Upper Cervical
Research Foundation (UCRF) and the Ralph R. Gregory Memorial Foundation (Canada).
Internaonal Pain Foundaon—9