Living with a chronic condition requires changing the way you think about your health care and your life. The ACPA describes this as moving from patient to person. The information in this section can help you begin to regain control of your life and become an active participant in your treatment team.
Communication Tools
ACPA Communication Tools can help you talk more productively with your healthcare provider and identify patterns in your daily life that have an impact on your pain.
Living With Pain: Purposeful Activities
Using purposeful activities to redirect your attention away from pain and on to things that you enjoy.
Quick Facts on Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic, widespread pain as well as a variety of other symptoms, such as tenderness, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.
Pain Management Programs
For many people, living with pain is a way of life. Living a full and active life however may seem impossible. It is actually possible to increase your level of functioning and quality life while reducing your sense of suffering.
Going to the ER
Almost everyone who lives with pain has been to the emergency room at some time. You may have gone because your pain was out of control and you could not reach your own health care team. You may have gone because you feared that your pain was a sign of a new medical problem. You may have gone because you have no insurance. Or your own doctor may have sent you there.
Self-Management Skills
Coping skills are techniques that can be helpful in managing pain. ACPA groups build on these coping skills:
Basic Rights
People with chronic pain are often “people pleasers.” We find it hard to express our needs and require that others respect them. And when our needs are not met, tension is increased and our pain seems worse.
From Patient to Person
Making the journey from patient to person takes time. The isolation and fear that can overwhelm a person with chronic pain grows over time. And the return to a fuller, more rewarding life also takes time.
Research and Clinical Trials
People with pain can play an important role in the development of new medications by taking part in clinical trials.
Survey Findings
Information from past surveys about chronic pain and related issues can help you to understand other people's perspectives and stay informed.
Consumer Guides and Information
ACPA Consumer Guides and informational tools can help you make sense of some of the choices you have and why they are being recommended.
