Pain is universal and important to all beings–t is a warning that something is wrong and needs attention to prevent further damage to the body. Whereas acute pain protects the body while it heals from trauma or injury, chronic pain is simply ongoing, persisting beyond its usefulness. People commonly react by resisting the pain-tightening muscles, stiffening posture or trying to avoid movement. Resistance causes anxiety, sadness, fear, anger and frustration; and the more resistance, the worse the pain and suffering. Chronic pain includes the physical pain coupled with the emotional pain (suffering), triggered in the brain and generated by the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain). Physical pain and emotional pain are equally real. As our population ages, chronic pain and its costs–both financial and on a human leve–are increasing. Today, medical systems treat chronic pain in over 70 million Americans with a methodology known as “pain management” which typically includes medications and procedures, such as injections and surgeries. The estimated annual cost of chronic pain treatment in the U.S. is $100 billion. The longer we live, the more likely we are to develop pain from. Read the full article here