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Now Managing ... You Experts suggest managing chronic discomfort can be more effective than treatment for some 
Your knees are throbbing after you climb two flights of stairs. You're bracing yourself for another blinding headache following a business meeting. You live with pain. It's chronic: The kind that persists or even progresses over a long period of time and you want to take something to make it stop. Right now! However, some health experts suggest another approach. Expecting one medication or one procedure to eliminate your chronic pain might be unrealistic, say physicians who practice complementary and alternative medicine. Rather than look for a magic pill, these physicians suggest developing strategies to manage your pain. "Typically it's not effective to just pop an aspirin," says Adam Perlman, M.D., chairperson, department of primary care, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (Newark). Finding a long-term solution for your chronic pain means looking at your body and mind and spirit, says Dr. Perlman, endowed professor of complementary and alternative medicine. Perhaps you need to lose the 50 extra pounds you're carrying and find an exercise program you can stick with. These steps can ease chronic pain. If stress is contributing to your pain, find distractions. Go for a long walk. Pursue a hobby. Your pain won't vanish, but you're less likely to notice it when you're enjoying yourself, according to Lowell Reynolds, M.D. medical director of pain management at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, Calif. Setting a realistic goal is also important, according to Dr. Reynolds He recommends a functional goal, not a pain goal. "You may have a pain score of 7 out of 10, but with my intervention, you can get out of the house and get moving. You will still have the pain, but will be able to function," Dr. Reynolds says. The good news is that managing your pain now will pay off later. "Some studies suggest that in the middle years pain is the worst. If you manage it now your pain will be less later," Dr. Reynolds says. (Some research, though controversial, shows that your pain threshold may increase as you age. However, that varies according to the cause of the pain and your general health and fitness.)
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
