Why you should look at the big picture before hitting the painkillers

New research has revealed that older Australians are letting pain impact their daily life before seeking support from an allied health professional. In fact, two in three (64 per cent of) Aussies aged over 60 are currently experiencing pain, with half (47 per cent) not getting a full night’s sleep because of it.

The research, carried out by Osteopathy Australia, suggests that many are becoming too reliant on painkillers to manage chronic pain. A staggering two in three (69 per cent of) Aussies aged over 60 rely on medication to manage their pain, with only 30 per cent saying they would seek professional health advice. But, in most cases, taking supermarket painkillers may not be the answer.

One in five GP consultations involves a patient with chronic pain, which can affect people of all ages, races and genders. Those experiencing chronic pain can often feel invisible or helpless, as their diagnosis may not meet medical definitions of what constitutes an illness. This leaves the patient feeling at a loss for an explanation for their pain and therefore a management plan to help them.

As an osteopath, I often see people letting pain impact their daily life before seeking professional help. We understand chronic pain can affect a person’s ability to participate in work, daily activities and exercise. However, many cases are due to lifestyle and environmental factors rather than a specific injury, which means they can be easily and safely managed with appropriate healthcare to improve general health and wellbeing.

Osteopathy is one of 15 regulated healthcare professions in Australia and provides a holistic approach to a patient’s musculoskeletal system. By understanding how the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves and circulation functions as a unified body, we develop hands-on treatment plans based on the source of the pain.

Osteopaths are trained in diagnosing, treating and managing musculoskeletal conditions for anything from headaches, neck strain, lower back or sporting injuries, so it’s really important to get the right diagnosis and the right treatment plan set up to help you move better. Treatment might include manual therapy, exercise prescriptions or helping you out with your lifestyle and environmental factors, such as finding the right mattress, and really looking at the whole picture to make sure we can get you moving better.

Irrespective of age, one of the best things we can all do to have a long and active pain-free life is to move more. Osteopaths can help people make informed decisions about their health, and support them to live active and healthy lives. Our approach is to use evidence-based science to find the root cause of a person’s pain and educate and advise them on how to manage their lives to work, rest and play better.

If you are experiencing pain, I would recommend seeking treatment from a health professional. Ask a friend for a recommendation if needed and when you’re with that practitioner, ask lots of questions to make sure you understand what they’re saying. Ensure you know what to expect going forward and what the pain-management process is. It’s important to make sure you feel empowered by the experience, so you understand your pain.

It’s so important to get a good health team on your side, which may comprise of a GP, psychologist, osteopath or exercise physiologist. Once you have a team you can trust, you will be helping yourself reduce your pain all over. So, go on, ask your doctor for long-term best-practice solutions for chronic pain, instead of the quick fix of pain medication.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.