Chronic pain doesn’t have to be a choice between suffering and strong medication

(Aging Untold) — If you live with chronic pain, it can feel like you only have two choices: tough it out or take strong medication. There are other ways to manage chronic pain that may help you sleep better, move better and get your life back. It starts with finding out why the pain is there. Start with the source of the pain The first thing to do is find the root cause or the source of the pain. That will determine how to treat it, Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said. She said the pain could come from a damaged muscle, damaged tissue, nerves or a nervous system that’s overly sensitive. “Your treatment is going to depend on why you have the pain,” Rogers said. She said the cause also leads to other options, such as movement and stretching. Don’t overlook sleep Rogers said sleep is something people often overlook. “I know that pain a lot of times interferes with sleep. But if you get really good sleep, then it can actually help your pain, if you can get to that point,” Ro