 Movie star Jennifer Grey, 51, has arrived at a good place. Following years and years of chronic neck pain which almost paralyzed her, Grey has found pleasure in dancing again.
A certain age group will remember Grey for her romantic role as Baby Houseman in the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, alongside Patrick Swayze. That same year, Grey sustained serious neck injuries in a car accident. Years went by before her neck pain grew to debilitating levels. “I would have headaches for days on end. My life had gotten so much smaller. I wasn’t even aware of how much pain I was in,” said Grey in a taped interview with HealthCenter.com.
It wasn’t until she was invited to compete on the 11th season of Dancing with the Stars that Grey learned what was causing her pain and that she could take steps to reduce the pain. “I was evaluated by a doctor for the show, and he told me my spinal cord was depressed and was about to do permanent damage and possibly even paralyze me; plus, I had thyroid cancer,” said Grey. She had a fusion and three surgeries in a row. Following those procedures, Grey started a pain management plan. “I was stunned by how much more like myself I felt….I’m never going to have zero pain because I have had a lot of injuries. The goal for me - I don’t want my pain to control me. I want to control my pain,” said Grey.
“Pain is a part of life, but suffering is something entirely different. No one should suffer in silence. I want people to know that communicating about pain is an important first step to identifying the best treatment options for you,” said Grey.
She set out to become an expert on her own pain – what triggers it, what causes flare-ups, what helps relieve the pain. 
“For example, I know when I’m on an airplane, it’s not going to feel good. I know what stretches to do, what meditation to do, I know what hypnosis to do. I know how to throw everything at it now that I realize I don’t have to give in to the pain,” said Grey.
She helped developed tools to help other chronic pain patients become experts on their pain. Grey refers to them as the three R’s: Research, Record (pain journal), and Rehearse. This last point may seem surprising, but Grey said she knows from her own experience that it can be difficult to find the right words to describe your pain and it helps to practice with a friend so you can make the most of your time in the medical appointment. Her collaboration with www.PartnersAgainstPain.com has the tools to help.
“I think it makes people depressed and feel ashamed that somehow they are not themselves. I think more people can regain what gives them pleasure. And they should be able to with the right pain management plan,” said Grey.
Grey worked with her doctor to come up with a pain management plan which allowed her to compete and win the 11th season of “Dancing with the Stars” in November of 2010. “I had so much fun on Dancing with the Stars. I was in pain, but it didn’t stop me because I could tolerate it because of my pain management plan during the show.”
“As long as you’re alive, there’s always hope to get better, to learn more things, to manage the pain and to really participate in helping yourself have a better life,” said Grey.
Watch Jennifer Grey's full interview here.
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