Men's Health

The Price Tag on Pain

Taking Your Medicine continued...

"It's a misperception," says Hahn. "The appropriate use of pain killers for a specific condition is effective and causes very little risk of addiction."

Hahn also observes that untreated pain can lead to a real addiction to alcohol or other substances that can dull sensation. Certainly, it's better to let your doctor prescribe a medicine instead of doing it yourself.

Depending on the condition that causes your pain, other treatments may be available that don't use medication. For instance, Cowan says that physical therapy can be tremendously helpful for many painful conditions. Hahn agrees, and adds that biofeedback and hypnosis can also be effective treatments.

The good news about pain, Cowan and Hahn believe, is that attitudes are changing and doctors now better understand how to treat pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine is also currently working on a medical education project that will help doctors and medical students learn more about diagnosing and easing pain.

In the meantime, Cowan stresses that those suffering from pain need to stand up for themselves. "People with pain need to know that they're not alone and their pain is not in their heads," she says.

"Also," she adds, "you have the right to have your pain treated and managed. Talk openly with your doctor about what you're feeling." Because the costs of pain -- emotionally and financially, personally and societally -- are just too high to ignore.