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Managing Chronic Pain

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    Actress Jennifer Grey speaks to Dr. Manny about suffering from chronic pain for over 10 years. Find out how she managed to win “Dancing With the St...

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Hello welcome to help plug on document.

She's best hope for is starting role as baby dirty dancing and more recently.

As the winner of Dancing With The Stars but -- all that fancy footwork it's hard to believe that Jennifer grades suffer from chronic painful more than ten years.

She's here to join me and talk about her chronic pain and everything -- and her career and anything I can as ask.

So you you were involved and in a car accident I think in the 1980s.

Right what happened.

Bad head on collision and I and really bad with black okay so so basically.

You had went back and use a seatbelt injury senate seat -- save my life because of people in the other car who weren't wearing seatbelts died.

But -- because I was really seat -- I survived and my only problem is that I got a seat -- injury which took awhile for the for -- They have -- really fall apart you know -- -- it'll generate over time yet so how long after the accident to start noticing that it's terrible chronic -- not -- you know this kind of chronic -- strange in the way that.

You just don't quite know kind of creeped up on you it just becomes -- subtly takes over your life and then you don't really realize you're having a problem until it.

If it really acute flare up.

And I didn't realize I just I wasn't doing the things I used mainly due I was always they've -- my neck now when I have my daughter which is almost ten years ago.

When I was I was nursing and I fell asleep and my had to -- -- funny angle.

I started to have excruciating headaches I had headaches before hatter as well.

That would last three and four days.

And I -- I didn't want to do it once inside documents and surgery and I just there's not too scared I'm never gonna do that did affect your -- -- followers things that you are doing you're acting career you know.

My.

My life this was getting smaller and I feel like I wasn't.

As adventurous I felt like there is many there are many things that I was afraid to do and I think that it made me feel kind of not myself but I didn't even recognize it until I was restored to myself.

So how did you manage the -- Well what I -- at that time was doing a lot of massage I got involved with mindful list meditation which is really really helpful.

From me I think it's great at.

Basically lessening the suffering because pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

And I think it's really important to go at it from many many angles and I did you separated the pain from the suffering alone.

I did it.

Right because I just I could actually variants pain as a sensation right but the suffering is the emotional attachment to a depression and then and the stories I was telling myself and it just it's very it's it can really.

Mount the pain it can it can actually -- in intensity.

Almost.

I mean -- it's just it's just one of those things that it works really well now at.

As somebody who's kind of responsible for you winning Dancing With The Stars was able to feel like a hundred times says -- watching the whole episode I mean this is.

But.

How did you manage that because dancing.

You know -- -- at least in the show use you guys like dance.

I never could have done that show if I hadn't sought.

They help from doctor break my neurological spine surgeon who said earlier heads -- after spine your spinal cord is compressed.

You're gonna be a quadriplegic if you get rear ended and you're gonna lose all that -- your leg right leg really soon.

He said union fusion so He fused my spine aha He did a disconnect to me this is and I -- yes dancing and He also said and you have a lump in your thyroid and I that I know it's -- you -- it's not.

So I got the fusion ten days later a month later I did the -- that to me.

And it turned out it was cancerous they went in again that's on my skies and -- And then.

I went back and it is -- -- -- -- they still had numb hands and and then I went to do Dancing With The Stars a few months later I trained and trained and trained.

And I just you know one thing is it that's important when you're talking about this -- I'm -- that that partners.

Again -- -- we'll get into that -- actually what I'm saying is partners against pain.

Is so important because they talk about what it what is your goal like what is my goal was that mirror ball you know I was thinking.

How what can -- -- but it could just feel like I wanna pick my Qaeda I want -- -- -- my dog I wanna go for -- hike.

I wanna I wanna do the things you don't go dancing and my husband you know just things that you stop doing because your life gets smaller and smiling you don't even realize it has.

When He put my neck -- straight again.

It was like my head was at a different angle and it had been for all those years and and for trying -- them better and -- I immediately felt better.

After surgery I was back.

And that -- what happened was I still have to manage my pain now.

Because I've had those injuries and then -- ruptured -- -- during the show and had to manage my pain during the show so I had a doctor.

That I have very good great communication with which is really important which also partners against pain.

Talks about because it talks about really recording.

All of your pain cycle so that you have this journal that you can download from the website.

And then you can do your research and know everything you need to know and then you rehearse it so when -- -- -- see your doctor.

You've got five minutes left.

Let me get let me recap here because I'm very impressed by you know because a lot of people listen we.

We and I wanna put the two together but we have an addiction problem in this country.

And a lot of folks you don't just get any kind of injury what ever I no injuries an injury but they make that injury their lives here you have.

Major ticket items you chose not to make that part of your life you may you've separated them.

And then you got into the right track and you got some definitive treatment which is key.

Now this campaign.

Let's talk about the specifics of the website what is the name of the website call partner against OK -- And basically there anybody who's suffering with chronic pain -- in there and utilize the tools that you have exactly.

And those tools could be.

Question Ayers I don't -- do would do they can that you find help it as a -- finding the right doctor for your condition utters a word the whole website.

I think the best -- just check into the website.

And you can see all the things that they offer it really is about they'll tell you they'll give you step by step things to do -- -- you can take so that you don't just have to take your pain lying down.

And say wow this is my life it's just getting smaller and smaller and I don't really feel good about it anymore do something about it.

Your movie star you you're out there in the public but.

What led you to kind of bring this to the attention of the public because a lot of you know a lot of celebrities like is something very quiet about their private lives here -- well I had if I were taken out I might.

-- operate on what what made you do that.

I just felt so grateful that I got so much good help and I didn't even realize how much of my life I was missing.

And I just feel that I want everyone to seek help.

Because there's always a solution I mean once in awhile I guess there's no solution tonight but for the most part you can always improve the quality of her life.

You look beautiful I just think it's I want people to enjoy their time Monday mind -- using also alternative therapies like meditation.

Acupuncture it's really find that to be very packed -- exercise.

Really key for me.

I need to exercise almost every day even if it's stretching.

Or walking to some way of getting my body moving because it's being stuck and still that really sets my body up to feel bad.

Thank you so much what's next field.

Do you have an ally gone on now give me something -- just bid lingering just aired on lifetime yes last night and it's gonna air again this week.

At the TV movie I did I'm writing a book.

And I've I'm going to be guest judging on strictly come dancing in London -- -- -- so.

Lot of things coming up yet.

Anyway thank you so much for coming thank you for telling your story and for helping people -- -- because.

Again chronic pain is just one of those things that affects millions and millions of people and its many of them live in silence because they just don't wanna deal with the -- because -- feeling so bad that they don't feel like they know what the first step to take quick.

And they could go down to the website and get some help -- some good information so thank you thank you.

And if you have any health topics you wanna talk to me about email me here at fox -- -- foxnews.com.

Until next time I'm documents.