Thursday, April 12, 2018
Chronic pain affects your day-to-day life and mental health since your body still hurts weeks, months or even years after injuries, surgeries, or in some cases, the onset of pain without injury. It can cause feelings of helplessness and trigger emotional distress. Your chronic pain could cause depression, sleep problems, worry, sadness, grief and interference with activities, which may lead to a reliance on opioid medication for relief.
Bruce Hillenberg, Ph.D., Beaumont Health’s chief of Pain Management Services, wants to help through several workshops held throughout the year to educate the community on opioid alternatives.
“We’re trying to get people to learn about alternative coping resources to help them manage their pain,” said Dr. Hillenberg. “We teach people how to cope and talk about the dangers of relying too heavily on prescription medication.”
The workshops teach patients and their families about effective strategies for living a more active, vital and meaningful life.
Dr. Hillenberg’s introduction to the field of pain management began in 1974 when, at 24, he had a lumbar spinal fusion for chronic pain. He experienced another lumbar spinal fusion at 36. During his personal chronic pain journey, he discovered ways to strengthen his body and keep himself emotionally grounded and learned how to calm his fears about life being different.
The free, interactive workshop from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at Beaumont Hospital, Farmington Hills, 28050 Grand River Ave., is the third event of this series. Developed using evidence-based research in pain science, this session will:
- provide information on pain science and, the impact pain can have on patients and family members and how to self-manage symptoms and challenges
- feature an interactive panel discussion with experts and patients about living meaningful lives despite pain
- provide information on pain management techniques, including physical therapy, psychological self-care strategies, acupuncture, massage therapy and yoga therapy
- serve as an opportunity to set personal self-management goals and apply what you’ve learned
Spouses and other primary support family members are also encouraged to attend. For more information and to register for the workshop, visit beaumont.org/pain or call 800-633-7377.