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Arthritis is a chronic and disabling disease that affects areas in and around the joints, causing pain, inflammation, and loss of movement. In its various forms arthritis affects every aspect of a person's life (i.e. work, family, sleep, etc.). It is one of the most prevalent and rapidly growing diseases in the world and affects 1 in 6 people in the United States. Nearly 50% of people over the age of 65 have arthritis.

In case you're wondering before we go further, the most frequently reported types of chronic pain are:

• Back pain
• Muscle pain
• Headache & migraine pain
• Arthritis pain
• Foot pain

This is not to minimize the 20 million Americans suffering from jaw and lower facial pain (TMD, TMJ), or the 4 million Americans suffering from fibromyalgia (a very complex condition involving widespread pain and other symptoms). The list of chronic conditions is long, but let's get down to the basics of chronic pain.

How do we define chronic pain?

According to The American Pain Society, if you live in pain for more than three months, you have chronic pain. But what if you're a few days short, do you have to wait before you can tell anyone? Let's just say that if you have pain that continues for a prolonged period of time, or beyond the usual recovery period of an illness or injury, you have chronic pain.

Chronic pain can be continuous or it may come and go. Over 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Unfortunately, their quality of life suffers as well. 70% of chronic pain sufferers say that it interferes with their daily life. People suffering from chronic pain become increasingly unhappy, discouraged, frustrated, angry, and after a while begin to exhibit symptoms of depression. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Traditional treatment...

Traditional advice for chronic pain sufferers has been bed rest along with pain and anti-inflammatory medications. When it comes to physical activity, traditional thinking was that doing nothing will make the pain go away. Recent research has found this to be inappropriate treatment that, in many cases, can actually cause more harm then good. A vicious cycle, known as the "Pain cycle", can develop in chronic pain sufferers. It works like this:

• The less you move, the more withdrawn from family and friends you become.
• The more withdrawn you are, the less you sleep.
• The less you sleep, the worse the pain becomes.
• The worse the pain becomes, the more pain medication you want and the less you move...

Breaking this cycle is a crucial step in the healing process.

Many people take prescription pain medications or over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) like aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxyn, but don't seem to get any better. Don't feel bad, despite major advances in many areas of medicine, studies consistently show that chronic pain problems remain misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated. Only an estimated 25% of those with pain receive proper treatment. 50% of people suffering from chronic pain are dissatisfied with the pain medications they have been taking.

Are drugs for chronic pain really safe?

In a recent survey about pain medications it was found that 95% of people cite "minimal side effects" as the most important characteristic of a drug. Yet the fact is that traditional NSAID treatments for pain and inflammation provide only limited relief. They have many side effects and long-term health risks associated with their use.

Large doses of acetaminophen can damage the liver. Narcotics such as codeine, oxycodone and methadone cause fatigue, constipation, foggy thinking, dependency and unconsciousness, or death if mixed with alcohol. If stopped or tapered off too quickly the person experiences withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, sweating and nausea.

The new prescription COX-2 inhibiting NSAIDs on the market are no better with side effects and health risks. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, an analysis by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic included approximately 18,000 people taking so-called cox-2 inhibitors including rofecoxib (or Vioxx), and celecoxib (or Celebrex). The study found a marked increase in cardiovascular trouble and heart-related deaths linked to clotting. And this does not include the more than 16,000 people that die each year from gastrointestinal problems caused by prescription and over-the-counter NSAIDs! Don't get me wrong, for short-term acute pain, drugs can be very helpful--but that's not what we're talking about here.

Rest and take it easy? Not any more…

It is no revelation that arthritis sufferers are significantly less active than the population as a whole. But according to the Centers for Disease Control, this may very well be due to the mistaken past recommendation that they should not exercise because it would damage their joints. According to the Surgeon Generals Report on Physical Activity and Health, and confirmed in recent research, it was found that "regular physical activity is necessary for maintaining normal muscle strength, joint structure, and joint function...was not associated with joint damage or development of osteoarthritis, and may be beneficial for many people with arthritis." (It is important that you first consult your doctor to see if an exercise program is right for you.)

What direction are we headed in?

Since the turn of the last century, traditional medicine has looked upon the human body as a sack of chemicals and body parts that can be repaired only by drugs or surgery. It is only recently that we have become enlightened to the bio-electromagnetic nature of the human body. We now know that the human body is influenced not only by the earth's natural magnetic field, but also by the external magnetic fields used in magnetic therapy. This, along with other holistic therapies, has added an entirely new dimension to wellness--forcing us to re-think the traditional approach to healing.

Healing involves more than just relieving symptoms or repairing a damaged area. It involves restoring the body's energy systems back to their natural healthy state, so we feel physically and emotionally well, and can confidently move on with our lives. It also involves doing so with the fewest possible side effects and long-term health risks.

The integration of holistic therapies with traditional medicine is what holds the key to well-being.

The choice is yours...

According to William J. Arnold, an Illinois Rheumatologist and chief medical editor of the Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Alternative Therapies, "there is a growing sense among Americans that there are broader issues beyond science and technology involved in healing, and that if you can't cure something then alternative treatments can help you heal. Healing is different from curing. Healing involves optimizing your life despite continuing illness."

I believe that most would agree with Dr. Arnold, but there are other important issues that do involve science and technology. These must also be addressed if we are to achieve a truly integrative approach to our health. The first is accepting the fact that bio-electromagnetic (energy) processes within our bodies control everything that we say, do and feel. The second is to break the pattern of tunnel vision developed over the past century that drugs are the answer to everything. We must try to gain better understanding of these energy processes.

Since chronic conditions cannot be cured, we must do the next best thing. Heal the body and mind through a combination of therapies designed to rebalance your body's energy systems, relieve symptoms, increase mobility, and help improve the quality of your life.