Life Care Planning Issues For People With Chronic Pain

According to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC), about  1 in 5  American adults suffer from chronic pain, and almost  1 in 10 American adults suffer from high-impact chronic pain. That means millions of Americans deal with pain in some fashion every day. Indeed, chronic pain is something that has a significant impact on our quality of life. It is not only centered on the area of pain, but it invades every aspect of our workday and our time with family.

A  life care planner  can be instrumental in helping people cope, and possibly even overcome chronic pain in the long run. In addition, when it comes to pain that may last for years due to a car accident or some other incident, life care planning services  can help individuals and their attorneys prepare a strong case for increased damages based on chronic pain.

Accordingly, in this article, we will discuss all of the issues surrounding chronic pain, and how life care planning services can give you a little help.

If, after reviewing this article, you have additional questions about your own chronic pain, your own personal injury lawsuit, or life care planning in general, we invite you to contact us at Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. – OAS.

We are one of the most experienced employability and life care planning firms in the United States. To discuss your case, call us at 1-800-292-1919 , contact us at a location near you, or through  our online form.

Chronic Pain Pervades All Aspects of Your Life

There is no question that chronic pain in your shoulders, your knees, your back, or other joints can make life very difficult. It can affect

1. Your social relationships,
2. Your family relationships,
3. Your ability to do work, and
4. Your own mental well being.

It is not uncommon for someone to suffer from depression and hopelessness because he or she has chronic pain.

Chronic pain will likely cause you to become less independent, and less active. Indeed, it becomes a ‘vicious cycle’ in that you most likely need to stay active and keep the blood flowing, to ease chronic pain. Yet, at the same time, the pain you are experiencing may prohibit you from, in fact, being more active. It is a frustrating cycle indeed.

With regard to depression, mentioned earlier, it often is a co-morbidity with chronic pain. Like being less active, an increase in depressive moods will enhance any chronic pain that you are suffering.

Chronic Pain In Connection with a Personal Injury Case

It is not surprising that if you were a victim of a car accident, a slip-and-fall accident, or a botched medical procedure, the chances of chronic pain lasting far beyond the time when your initial wounds heal is high.

That means that in any personal injury lawsuit, you and your attorney need to account for the costs of treatment, loss of earnings, and loss of household services that you will suffer in the future because of ongoing, chronic pain.

Challenges Treating Chronic Pain

If you suffer from chronic pain, then you know all too well that it is a substantial challenge to try to treat it. Many people go through a number of strategies to tackle a chronic pain issue, only to find that there is little that helps.

Moreover, chronic pain is an elusive enemy for doctors because it is possible to continue even though  the original source of the pain has healed . In fact, our nervous systems might become altered by the existence of long-term pain. Thus, it is possible that people with chronic pain have a nervous system that changes how the person perceives pain. In a number of cases, a person might experience pain with little or no pain stimulus.

How Can a Life Care Planning Specialist Help?

A life care planner is someone who is specifically trained to address a person’s chronic pain. A life care planner’s mission is to review all aspects of a person’s injuries, medical history, work history, and mental and emotional needs. With that information, a life care planner is able to recommend a course of action, and certain restorative solutions, to increase a person’s quality of life.

In addition, a life care planner has the expertise to understand both medical information, and job/market information, to place a value on the amount of suffering someone with chronic pain experiences. That last skill is very helpful in  personal injury cases.

What is most beneficial about having a life care planning specialist in your life if you suffer from chronic pain is that he or she understands the many possible options available to help relieve someone’s chronic pain.

A life care planner understands that relying on opioid medication is the last resort because so many other negative side effects result from such medication. Thus, life care planners are ready to explore pain management options from acupuncture and behavioral therapy to neuromodulation and yoga.

Let OAS Provide You With Life Care Planning Services

The life care planner experts at Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. (OAS) have over forty years of experience documenting the income potential and employment capacity of underemployed, unemployed, and disabled spouses in many types of cases

OAS specializes in working with the plaintiff or defense attorney to assist in objectively documenting the economics in a case. From the initial referral to the trial testimony, OAS works with the retaining attorney so that the  vocational assessment  of the case can be objectively and efficiently presented.

We strongly believe in the importance of a clear and understandable presentation of the facts. OAS is the leading provider of  Vocational Expert  and Life Care Planning Services for Plaintiff and Defense attorneys.

The company specializes in assisting attorneys in evaluating  earning capacity in divorce cases  and documenting the damages in cases where an individual has been severely injured by providing objective findings on how the injuries affect a persons’ ability to work and earn money, as well as the cost of care required in catastrophic injuries.

OAS is your Vocational Expert & Life Care Planner Nationwide, with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, and California.

Occupational Assessment Services, Inc. is one of the most experienced employability and life care planning firms in the United States. To discuss your case, call us at 1-800-292-1919 , contact us at a location near you, or through  our online form.