Can pain alter personality?

In 1985, when quarterback Joe Theismann had his fibula and tibia shattered by a tackle, it ended his NFL career — a career in which he’d suffered seven broken noses, a broken collarbone and broken hands and ribs. “People would say that it was a tragedy ... but ... it was a blessing,” he said. “I’d become somewhat of a selfabsorbed individual and didn’t really care much about a lot of things except myself. And ever since that day ... I’ve tried to be a better person.”

All that physical pain can make it difficult to be your best self. That’s been confirmed by a study in the European Journal of Pain — seems that people with chronic pain have very low levels of the personality-influencing neurotransmitter glutamate in their frontal cortex, triggering emotional dysregulation and increasing anxiety.

If you’re one of the 50 million Americans who live with chronic pain and the emotional changes it triggers, the good news is you don’t need opioids for relief.

Non-opioid pain relievers: To handle chronic back pain or osteoarthritis, one study found that nonopioid medications deliver as much relief as opioids. Anti-seizure medications ease fibromyalgia pain; antidepressants can help with migraine; and NSAIDs and topical creams can soothe aching joints, muscles and some nerve pain.

Alternatives to medications: Massage, acupuncture and high-tech radiofrequency ablation and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) also ease pain effectively.

Altered pain response: Pain causes tension, and that increases pain. An anti-inflammatory diet, and stress-reducing meditation, deep breathing and visualization, plus plenty of exercise can quiet the brain’s pain response center.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.