feature topical analgesics The inside edge M ost chiropractors would agree that our main goal is to help people live healthier lives. This is not always easy. Our definition of health may differ from the pa -tient’s. They may not comply with our recommendations. There may be dis -agreement about how to maintain the benefits achieved through chiropractic care. The results are well worth the effort, but it would be nice to have some help. It might make the job easier if we start with a definition of health. Good health is more than simply an absence of disease or pain. The World Health Organization defines it as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Dr. Halbert Dunn is acknowledged as the first to coin the term “wellness.” In his 1961 book High Level Wellness , he describes wellness as “an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximizing the potential of which the individual is capable of functioning within the environment.” The McKinley Health Center, University of Illinois, defines wellness as “a state of opti -mal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being.” Dr. David Leprich has practised in St. Catharines since graduating from CMCC in 1977. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation and has previously served as president of the Niagara Chiropractic Society, director of the Ontario Chiropractic Association and president and chairman of the board of the Canadian Chiroprac -tic Association. He is the theatre chiropractor for the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake and a chiropractic consultant to the Niagara Health System and Men-tholatum Canada. thE rolE of Pain If you are a bit confused at this point, imagine how patients must feel! In many cases, all they wanted – the thing that made them come to you – was relief from back pain. Their perception that pain is the problem and not just a symptom is often a barrier to following through with appropriate care. However, I think we make a mistake by not acknowledging its importance in the process. As an example, low back pain is one of the most common and costly health problems in North America. This complaint, along with neck pain and headache, motivates many to seek chiropractic care. However, a good initial chiropractic experience can help them decide on wellness as an approach to good health, so it is important that as practitioners, we don’t ignore the pain. A growing body of research into the nature of pain provides information that is very useful in helping our patients. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines it as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” A quick look at the association’s website reveals 18 distinct pain classifications. For chiropractors, and for those experiencing pain, the situation is much simpler. We both want the pain to disappear. The difference is that as healers, we seek to fix the problem that is causing the pain, while those in pain just want it to go away. stratEgiEs for ProviDing Pain rEliEf One of our duties is to teach patients how to be healthier. This may mean continuing care beyond the initial pain relief phase. This is easier to do if we are able to provide a light at the end of the tunnel through some immediate relief. There are a number of tools at our disposal to help with this. A home stretch program may help reduce muscle spasm and ease pressure on inflamed joints. The proper use of cushions, braces and supports can speed recovery. Icing is recommended to reduce the pain and swelling of an acute injury. None of these tools replaces the treatment we provide as chiropractors, but they all enhance recovery and provide temporary relief for the patient. Even better, they help to avoid, or minimize, the use of oral analgesics and anti-in -flammatories. Far too often, we see people who are consuming alarming quantities and combinations of ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Naproxen. Admittedly, there are times www.canadianchiropractor.ca David Leprich, DC 14 • CANADIAN CHIROpRACTOR | DECEMBER 2011
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