Boomers Guide to Chronic Pain

Being Grateful

2009-04-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar.

In this book he describes the importance of being grateful.

He writes about the research of Robert Emmons and MichaelMcCullough. These psychologists conducted a series of studies in which they asked participants to write down at least five things, major or minor, for which they were grateful.

Their studies revealed that those who wrote on a daily basis about the things they were grateful for were "more appreciative of life, more determined, enjoyed higher levels of well-being,felt happier, more energetic and more optimistic."

I am fortunate to communicate with a friend who shares with methe five things she is grateful for each day. I enjoy reading these e-mails.

In her last e-mail, my friend raised a valid point. She wrote,"We truly forget how much we have to be grateful for. If we wrote a list -- and had open minds about it -- without getting caught up in the minutiae of our everyday somewhat ordinary lives, we would definitely see how much we do have to be grateful about. "

She's right. Many of us have a tendency to get so "wrapped up" in our lives that we don't take the time to be grateful -especially for the smallest pleasures. We take too many things for granted.

Tal Ben-Shahar writes, "When we make a habit of gratitude, we no longer require a special event to make us happy. We become more aware of good things that happen to us during the day, as we anticipate putting them on our list."

Here's my list for today. I am grateful for:
1. Less back pain
2. Dinner with the family
3. A very nice "thank you" letter from a client
4. My computer and the fact that it worked without a hitchtoday
5. Friends who listen and do not judge

The action step this week is to begin a daily exercise of writing down five things for which you are grateful. Try to write something different every day. Do your best to make a habit of this mental exercise.

Lastly, I highly recommend Tal Ben-Shahar's books, The Pursuit of Perfect and Happier. Both are well worth the read.

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

Music Can Soothe Pain

2008-11-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

Last week I received a “thank you” present from a patient. The present was a record album.

Yes, you did read it correctly- “Album.”

It wasn’t a CD or MP3. It was pure vinyl. The album was from 1976, “A Day at The Races” by Queen. One of their top hits, Somebody to Love is recorded on this album.

I gave the record to my daughter who is a big fan of Queen. She stared at the record jacket with awe.

I explained to her the sound is totally different listening to music on vinyl versus CD. I am now looking for a record player. Listening to music brings her great joy.

For many, music plays a large role in their lives. As they say, “Music soothes the savage beast” or “Music soothes the soul”.

It is my opinion and the opinion of some research that music can decrease the perception and/or sensation of pain.

The study, “Music for pain relief” (Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Lau J, Alvarez H; prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008 Issue 3, Copyright © 2008) revealed the following: Listening to music for treatment of pain offers potential advantages of low cost, ease of provision, and safety. This systematic review included 51 studies involving 3663 subjects. The review authors found that music reduced pain, increased the number of patients who reported at least 50% pain relief, and reduced requirements for morphine-like analgesics.

Although this study was not a large study and the clinical relevance of music for pain relief should be further investigated the results still reveal that music helps to soothe pain or at least offer a pain distraction.

Another study about music revealed the following: In June 2006 the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that listening to music daily reduced chronic pain, made people feel more in control of their pain, reduced depression, and made people feel less disabled by their condition.

If you are in chronic pain consider using music as part of your pain management.
To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

www.frompaintopersonalgain.com
www.boomersguidetochronicpain.com

Complaining Does Not Change the Outcome

2008-10-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Let me share a story about two of my patients, Bob and Tim. I’ll set the scene for you.

They meet for lunch at the local sushi restaurant. The conversation starts off with niceties. How is the wife? How are the kids? Who do you think will win the presidency? The lunch is served. Bob says to Tim, “How have you been feeling?” Tim replies, “Well, to tell you the truth my bowels have been impacted for the last week and my stream isn’t what it used to be. The docs gave me some medicine three weeks ago that gave me the trots. So now I went from being clogged to the trots to being clogged again. They’re planning to perform a colonoscopy next week.”

At this point in time, Bob (who is sharing the story with me) no longer wants to eat any of his meal. Hearing the details about Tim’s intestinal problems has made him feel nauseated. Bob tells me that he is tired of listening to his friends complain about their intestinal and bodily dysfunctions.

I have noticed that complaining about one’s health is typical for many baby boomers. As we get older, our days are devoted to going to the doctor, trying new medicines, and getting poked or prodded and sometimes both, either just to maintain what one has or in the quest to stay and feel younger.

To be honest, when someone asks how you are feeling, the best reply should be, “Hanging in there” or “I’m fine.” Most people do not want to hear the truth, especially in detail. The exception should be when you are visiting your doctor. He/she should want to hear every detail about how you feel. You may say something that could suggest a condition for which your doctor would recommend an MRI, X-ray, blood work, or other more in-depth study.

For example, a new patient who is only 52 years old reported to my office with complaints of neck pain. An exam was performed and I determined that he was suffering with neck spasms. Towards the end of the exam he said, “I don’t know if this means anything, but I have been experiencing cramping pain in the back of my knee for the last few weeks. I wasn’t really going to share it with you, but do you think it might be related to my neck?” I quickly reviewed his chart, which revealed that he had high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. I referred him for an ultrasound and it turned out that he had a medium-sized clot in his leg. He was prescribed blood thinners and is fine today. What would have happened if he had never shared that piece of information? I can tell you that the outcome would have been a bad one.

So the rules when complaining about your health are two-fold—with family and friends, keep it brief and avoid the details, especially during meal time! But share how you feel with your doctor in great detail, as it may save your life.

The best way to avoid complaining at all is to stay healthy, exercise, create proper nutritional habits, and take time to de-stress.

That’s it for now.

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

The Importance of Vitamin B12

2008-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am often asked whether I believe in vitamins and supplements. Many people are confused about which vitamins and supplements they should take.

Quite often the general public is led by marketing through commercials and print ads. If we believe all the advertising, there would seem to be a vitamin or supplement to cure, or at least help with, every ailment. Unfortunately, that is not true. If that were the case, we Boomers would be taking almost every type of vitamin and supplement out there. How many of us suffer with knee pain, low back pain, headaches, hip pain, stomach issues, heart problems, and so on?

There is a significant lack of direction when it comes to deciding what we should be taking. It can be very upsetting to try to figure it out on our own. There are certified nutritionists who can help guide one through these murky waters by suggesting a vitamin or supplement for your body and your needs. But try to avoid the heavy sales tactics at your local nutrition/holistic store; I have had many patients who have walked out of the store with $200-300 worth of goods that provide very little benefit.

As the economy appears to be worsening, it is my humble opinion that the best bang for the buck with respect to vitamins is a B complex. B complex vitamins are usually labeled B-50 or B-100 for 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams of the B vitamins. Each B vitamin plays an important role in the function of the body.

One of the most important B vitamins is B12. The Mayo clinic states Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.

A recent study in Neurology (Vogiatzoglou A, et al. Neurology. September 9, 2008; Vol. 71, Iss. 11, pp. 826-832) concluded that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly. In other words, vitamin B12 plays an important role in the mental ability of the elderly.

So if you have to choose just one vitamin group, I highly recommend the B vitamins. And, if you are not losing your shirt in this economy, the best advice about vitamins and supplements I can give is that you should consider being evaluated by a certified nutritionist to determine your needs.

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/

Boomers and Retirement

2008-09-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

As I write this blog, I am aware that many baby boomers may be contemplating retirement.

Last week I attended a seminar hosted by the National Speakers Association. Dr. Alan Zimmerman, who presented the seminar, shared statistics regarding death after retirement. I am sure many of you have heard that it is not uncommon for death to follow fairly closely after retirement, especially in men.

How many times have you heard the story of some person who worked most of his life, then retired and died within a few months? I don’t want that to be me.

To be honest with you, I don’t even think about retirement. It’s not that I don’t want free time; it’s that I think I would be bored to death. If I don’t have something to do, I think I will go bonkers! And I think that’s what happens — people get bored. Unfortunately for many the only thing that they have to do is work.

That’s why I don’t think of retiring. I often think about how I can earn more money and secure my finances as I get older. To be honest, securing your finances (keeping what you saved) is directly correlated to your health.

In my opinion, retirement is more difficult for males. Most men are defined by their work. They feel valued by “bringing home the bacon.” And when work is over (retirement), they feel less valuable and this feeling of lack leads or contributes to their decline.

What is one to do?

If you retire, retire into your passion. Retire into what you love. Start discovering and creating your passion now so that if and when you decide to retire, you will have something to do. Hopefully your passion will require being surrounded by people. Many studies demonstrate that people live longer when they are surrounded by others.

As boomers think about retirement, it is important to prepare by staying healthy. Stay healthy to feel and look better. Stay healthy to enjoy and keep your wealth. Stay healthy to find your passion.

Dr. Michael Kaye
www.drmichaelkaye.com

Investing in You

2008-09-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was sitting around with a bunch of my friends at a picnic.

When I am at a party, at least one of my friends usually pulls me aside.

“Hey, Mike, I was wondering if you can take a look at something for me. I hurt my shoulder about a week ago and the pain won’t go away.”

“Did you do anything about it?” I asked.

“I took some Advil, but it really didn’t help”, he said.

I evaluated his shoulder and arrived at a working diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear. I told my friend that he would most likely need to have treatment for two to four weeks and that he should determine which provider and what facility are covered by his insurance.

He complained that his co-pay is $40 for every visit and he questioned why there isn’t a pill he can take to fix his problem. I told him there is medicine to block the pain, but the medicine won’t fix the problem.

He is in the contracting business. He works with his body every day. If he doesn’t get his shoulder repaired, he may do further damage and, more importantly, may not even be able to do the type of work he does.

“Okay”, I say. “Let’s put it this way. At $40 per visit with a typical treatment parameter of 6 to 12 visits, you can expect to pay out $240 to $480. How much are you worth? “

He replied, “That’s a lot of money.” I reminded him that if he can’t return to work or if he loses his job, he would be out way more than $480. Fortunately, he listened and invested his money in some treatment. He lucked out as he felt much better after only eight visits.

So my question to you is: How much are you willing to invest in yourself?

Are you willing to purchase healthier foods, go to the doctor when necessary, pay for a gym membership, or purchase a new piece of exercise equipment?

Investing is not just about money.

Are you willing to invest in your education, possibly returning to school to get a degree or a certificate?

Are you willing to invest in motivational seminars and materials?

Are you willing to invest in working with a wellness coach or a personal trainer?

Are you willing to invest in your time and learn a new hobby?

As a society we have a tendency to spend money on products or things that provide immediate gratification as opposed to investing our time or finances in something that will produce a great return on that investment.

Think of it this way. You are willing to save money each week or each paycheck towards your savings /retirement (or at least I hope you are). What are you willing to invest in yourself each week?

The greatest investment is YOU!

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

To learn more about my e-book please log onto http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44

Eating Can Be Confusing

2008-08-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

It’s time to talk again about the difference between dieting to lose weight and eating right to live a longer, pain-free, and healthy life.

The “diet” consists of following a plan that usually results in weight loss. That weight loss, however, is often short-term. In other words, when you go back to your normal eating habits, you gain the weight back. The latest craze in diets (there will always be a “latest craze” to try) might be a pill to help you lose weight or a diet system promoted by late night infomercials. Often these diets are also unhealthy.

I have never been a big fan of following a diet. Many people feel they can just purchase diet foods and all will be well. Unfortunately, these diet foods (usually found in a box, can or wrapper) often contain ingredients that are not healthy for you; examples are partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, sodium in excess of recommended allowances, and a host of other ingredients that sound like things from your tenth-grade chemistry class. That being said, some of the popular weight loss systems such as Weight Watchers do provide a wonderful foundation towards a healthier lifestyle.

Knowing what to eat or which diet system to follow can be very confusing, especially if you listen to all the experts, authors, infomercials, and the guy down at the gym.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article comparing three diets: low-fat, restricted-calorie; Mediterranean, restricted-calorie; and low-carbohydrate, non-restricted calorie. Interestingly enough, the weight loss was minimal on all three diets over a period of two years. The groups participating in the low-carbohydrate diet did the best since their markers for levels of elevated inflammation improved (i.e. they had less inflammation in the body), their triglycerides were lowered, and HDL levels (the good cholesterol) were increased.

Therefore one should eat foods that are low in carbohydrates. In other words, avoid pastas, rice, breads, cookies, and cakes. Your carbohydrates should come from vegetables, fruit and limited grains. Center your eating on higher levels of protein and consume less carbohydrates and fats. Fats should come from olive oils, nuts, and avocados instead of from low quality (fast-food) red meat, chicken, fish, fried foods, etc. Personally, I have not eaten red meat for over 20 years now. I believe that eating red meat/animal meat is fine, but one should consider eating a higher quality of animal meat such as organic, free-range, or naturally grown.

When I evaluate a client who has hired me to coach him or her towards a healthier life, I consider genetic predisposition (what does or did mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma suffer with and how long did they live?), age, current health status, and future health goals. I look at levels of iron, Vitamin D, Vitamins B6 and B12, and C-Reactive Protein (the marker for inflammation) as determined by blood work. I make recommendations based on this information to help the client achieve an optimum nutritional lifestyle.

If you are considering (and I hope you are) embracing a nutritional lifestyle system to create a healthier life, think higher protein, lower carbohydrates, and good fats. Think quality and portion control. And don’t forget that exercise is an important part of a nutritional and healthy lifestyle.

Take care of yourself and if you would like to learn more about my Nutritional Lifestyle Coaching, please feel free to e-mail me at Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com.

To your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

P.S. To learn more on how to create a life of health, wealth, and happiness log on to http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44

Traveling Pain Free

2008-07-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Although we are halfway through summer, many people are still planning to go away on vacation. Traveling presents special concerns to those with back pain, neck pain, or other chronic conditions.

Since the price of airline tickets has been rising at an alarming rate, many have decided to travel by car. This can be fun, but it also can wreak havoc on your lower back and neck.

Here are some action steps you can take to help avoid and manage neck and back pain when driving.

If you are the driver, sit as close to the steering wheel as comfortable. Position yourself so that your knees are slightly higher than your hips. Keep your elbows slightly bent with hand positions at the lower part of the steering wheel (think clock positions 7 & 5 rather than 10 & 2).

Consider using a back support. The back support should have a base for your buttock region and a low back support for your lumbar spine (lower back).

It’s important to exercise your legs while driving. Contract your thigh muscles, tighten and relax your calf muscles, and squeeze your gluteal muscles periodically. Performing abdominal contractions alternating with sucking in your gut (abdominal hollowing) will help with lower back discomfort.

In addition to exercising your legs, you should stretch your neck muscles by performing neck range of motion maneuvers. Let your head fall to your chest; look up to the sky; tilt and rotate your head in each direction. Obviously, these exercises should be performed while at a complete stop if you are the driver!

To improve the circulation in your hands, loosen and tighten your grip. Change hand positions as often as possible.

Whether you are the driver or a passenger, I recommend taking ice packs for your travels. Just keep them in a cooler and you can use the ice packs for your neck, shoulder, or lower back.

The most important advice I can give you is to take breaks. It will take you a bit longer to arrive at your destination, but the extra time will be well worth it. There is nothing as crucial to enjoying your vacation as beginning it without pain!

That’s it for now and if you are heading for vacation, I wish you a pain-free, relaxing and enjoyable time.

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
http://www.drmichaelkaye.com/
http://www.boomersguidetochronicpain.com/

Bubble Wrap

2008-07-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today I want to discuss bubble wrap. That’s right the packing material.

You might be thinking, “Oh, this guy has gone over the edge.”

Well, I haven’t, at least not completely over the edge, maybe teetering.

How can bubble wrap help you?

One of my patients’s been trying to quit smoking and was gaining weight because he was sitting in front of the television eating instead of smoking. Weight gain is very common for those who are refraining from smoking.

The answer to his problem was to occupy his hands. I told him to get bubble paper. As you can imagine he thought that was a very strange idea.

Maybe it was but it worked. The act of popping the little plastic bubbles kept his hands busy (plus it is fun) while he was watching television. Obviously, his craving for nicotine was not any less but the bubble paper acted as a distraction.

Using this same thought process I recommend bubble wrap to many patients who are on a diet as sitting in front of the television is often associated with eating snacks. So the answer was to keep the hands busy by popping the bubble wrap.

So that’s how bubble wrap helps my patients. Try it!

Since we are talking about TV watching I want to share how you can use TV watching to your advantage.

In these two case scenarios sitting and watching the television was detrimental. I often request my patients to keep physically busy while they are watching television.

While TV viewing you can perform exercises such as marching in place during commercials, stretching the muscles of the lower back and the hamstrings (back of legs), alternate between stretches for the upper and lower body, perform abdominal conditioning with proper technique and do pushups. You can even grab some dumbbells for arm and shoulder work.

How much TV do we watch? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day. Some studies indicate that American adults watch 3-4 hours of TV per night.

To summarize, if you are dieting or trying to quit smoking (or if you are not on a diet or trying to quit smoking) and you find that sitting in front of the TV is your worst enemy try bubble wrap. In addition to keeping your hands busy consider exercising when watching television. If you watch a minimum of two hours of TV per night and you devote 30 minutes (in 5-10 increments) you will have exercised for 3.5 hours for the week.

That’s it for now. Stay Well! Stay Healthy!

Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

P.S. To learn more on how to create a life of health, wealth
and happiness log onto http://tinyurl.com/2hqf44

It's Okay When Goals Change

2008-06-26T19:35:00.001-07:00

My friend is attending graduate school. He is not having a good time. Actually, he is failing. It’s quite unfortunate because I feel that one day he will make an excellent clinician.

When he called me the other day, he was at his wit’s end. He kept saying over and over again, “I am a failure. What am I going to do if the school kicks me out? How will I survive and make a living?”

I am sure you can understand his frustration. But is his life over? Nope. Maybe the post-graduate work was not for him or maybe the school itself was not the right choice.

I explained to him that “life is not over.” He just has to choose a different course. “But I failed,” he kept replying. I said, “Okay, you failed. Maybe this profession is not the right one for you.”

This was difficult for him to hear, let alone understand, but maybe it’s the truth.

I explained to him that life can change course. How many inventors started down one path and ended at a different destination?

It is important to know that there can be more than one way to arrive at your destination. I shared with my friend that he has opportunity sitting at his feet. He still has the ability and opportunity to choose his destination. He has the opportunity to change his goals.

Here’s what I want to share with you specifically with respect to goals.

Goals can change.

That’s the beauty of this journey we call life. It’s TBD (To Be Determined) and you are the one to determine your course. It’s okay if you do not complete a specific goal. It’s not the end of the world.

It’s a good idea to re-evaluate your goals. If you are using the SMART approach (acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time) with your goals and did not complete your goal, maybe the time was too short to complete that specific goal or maybe the goal was not specific enough or was not realistic to begin with.

And sometimes you might need help or guidance to achieve your goals. A great idea is to let your best friend or a supportive family member review your goal(s) and ask if he/she thinks the goal(s) are attainable.
That’s it for now. I hope you have a great week.

Remember, when life veers off in a different direction, just keep hold of the steering wheel and do your best to direct life towards your destination.

To Your Health, Happiness & Wealth!

Dr. Michael J. Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results