Chronic Neuropathic Pain


You will tell me, this post has nothing to do with food or cooking. In some ways it does. In this article I would like to tell you a little a bit about myself and a lot about a subject close to my heart: Chronic neuropathic pain.

This is why:

About three years ago I sustained an injury to my right shoulder during a pretty hectic dinner service. The place was pact and I was short staffed. Well a classic kitchen's scenario. From this injury I developed a condition called chronic neuropathic pain also known as chronic pain syndrome. The result of this condition leaves me with sharp, burning, stabbing pain sensations in my chest, shoulder, neck, arm and hand. I also have coordination and strength problems with my right hand as well as hyperalgaesia and numness in my arm and hand.

Not mentioning that it was the end of my career!

This is a condition that a lot of people do not know much about. But touch from 1.5 to 7% of the population. It is believed that:
  • 4.5 million people (1.5 percent) in the U.S
  • 3 million people (7.5 percent) in the United Kingdom
  • 2.5 million people (6.4 percent) in France
  • 3.5 million people (6.0 percent) in Germany
  • 2.1 million people (7.7 percent) in Spain
  • 120 000 people in Ireland.
suffer from chronic neuropathic pain. There are no cure for this condition but only pain management solutions for the sufferers.
If you wish to find out more about the condition I invite you to visit these few sites:
So, as I was following a pain management program in January I was told by a member of the pain unit team that the I.C.P.A and Pfizer had launch a writing competition asking chronic pain sufferer to describe what it was to live with the condition and the challenges that chronic pain brought to their life. The five winners, which I was a lucky one of them, had their story made into a short films by three young talented directors and were produced by Jim Sheridan.

The following movie is based on my story. It was directed by a young Irish and very talented director: Darren Thornton and produced by Antidote.
I hope that it will make you more aware about this condition. Enjoy the "movie".

HEAT

Copyright Pfizer Healthcare Ltd

The other 2 winning stories can be found at: http://www.chronicpainireland.org/aboutus.asp


For help and support:
- Irish chronic pain association
- Chronic pain Australia
- American chronic pain association
- North American chronic pain association of Canada
- Pain concern

1 comments:

  1. Unknown said,

    Hi,

    This is the assistant editor for Hospital.com which is a medical publication offering hospital news, information and reviews. We also cover a wide variety of medical issues, one of which being Pain Management. You will notice one of the many articles on this topic on our homepage. If possible I would like Hospital.com to be included within your blog roll, offering our information as a resource to your readers. Please let me know if this addition can be made.

    Please email me back with your URL in subject line to take a step ahead and to avoid spam.

    Thank you
    Mary Miller,
    may.hospital.com@gmail.com

    on 01 February, 2010