Nearly 50 million American adults have significant chronic pain or severe pain, according to a 2015 study prepared by National Institute of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. Many people with an anxiety disorder also have a co-occurring disorder or physical illness, which can make their symptoms worse and recovery more difficult.
Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. The National Fibromyalgia Association states that the disorder affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S.
The drugs created to treat fibromyalgia aren’t always effective and like all medications, they can carry certain risks. “The drug with no side effects is only in our imagination,” says Eduardo Fraifeld, MD, president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. People with fibromyalgia may have other health problems as well, and according to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, the medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, about 70% take more than one medication regularly so there’s a high chance of drug interactions.
The AARP’s research shows that those 50 years of age and older are discussing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with their physicians to potentially find a treatment with limited or no side effects. One of the most popular treatments for pain relief and well being is reiki. The name is a combination of two Japanese words “rei” and “ki”, meaning "universal life force energy." It’s commonly used for stress reduction, deep relaxation and pain relief.
…… (contact author for the rest of the article) Copyright © 2016 by Kimberly Schwender