Chronic pain is on the rise for young people. While experts debate whether rising cases stem from heightened awareness or environmental factors, what’s important for students is to be aware of their options available on campus.
HornetCare is a great place to start for any student experiencing physical or mental health issues. Family Nurse Practitioner Jennifer Phillip says that chronic pain can be physical, mental, or both. Her goal is to find the source of the pain and recommend the best treatment for it.
“We always just want to make sure that we get an entire picture of the student’s life to be able to make sure we’re not missing anything,” said Phillips.
Phillips goes on to discuss resources outside of HornetCare. “We have a lot of athletes on campus, and we do deal with a lot of chronic pain due to injury. We also have physical therapy on campus. I always tell students to check that out when they do a call for patients,” said Phillips, further explaining that the nurses at HornetCare are thorough and strive to provide the best possible care for students.
Additionally, the university’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences is just a few minutes away from the main campus. Here, students will find medical experts, such as Dr. Carole Friend and Dr. Jason Grandeo, who can provide guidance on ways to alleviate their chronic pain.
Dr. Friend recommends that students get a good amount of sleep and exercise whenever possible. “I think that some of those benefits also help to benefit individuals that might be at risk for metabolic disease later on in life, whether they have a genetic predisposition for that or have some other health conditions that lead towards that, and that also can exacerbate and continue the loop of chronic pain,” Dr. Friend noted.
Metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism can have lasting effects on health. According to Dr. Friend, genetics may increase susceptibility, but maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle significantly reduces the risk. He adds that these conditions not only contribute to chronic pain but can also make treatments like physical therapy more difficult for the body to manage.
While some students may be cautious about seeking medical care due to high costs, Dr. Grandeo shared that physical therapy services are available at no cost to students.
Grandeo believes that the main barriers to alleviating chronic pain are knowledge and access.
“We have a pro bono physical therapy clinic on campus in our building,” said Dr. Grandeo, explaining that the resource was created and serves patients who might not be able to afford or access the care they need otherwise.
Dr. Grandeo has also done panel discussions with students, faculty, staff, and members of the community on ways to deal with chronic pain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines chronic pain as “pain lasting three or more months,” and has found that approximately 12% of adults aged 18 to 29 experienced chronic pain in 2023. They also found that the percentage rose by 4% between 2019 and 2023. To combat the rise of chronic pain amongst younger individuals, the University of Lynchburg offers various resources for students dealing with chronic pain.
Za’lexia Bogan, a fourth-year student, has a theory about what could be causing this increase.
“Well, I know for some it’s genetics. However, the ones that are not are due to stress. With the amount of homework piled up from professors and students working full-time or part-time and having to do internships, all of that can be draining for the body,” said Bogan.
Bogan links physical and mental health as predictors for chronic pain, but also makes another point. With all the time students spend keeping up with school and work, how are they supposed to find campus resources on their own?
“Everyone thinks it will affect you mentally, but it can affect you physically because your body needs rest, and most of the time we’re up late completing assignments and/or working,” she added.
For more information, visit HornetCare
