What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that generally lasts for more than 3 months. It can also last for months or even years, and happens in all parts of the body. Chronic pain may interfere with your daily activities such as working, having a good social life, and even a successful romantic relationship. Unfortunately, it can also lead to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances trouble – all of which may make your pain worse.

Treatment should begin by trying to find and treat the cause. An effective approach might be a combination of medications, therapies, and lifestyle changes. But if it doesn’t work, it may create a cycle which will be difficult to break. Chronic pain is unpredictable as it can come and go, or it may be there all the time.

Why is chronic pain different to other pain?

Chronic pain differs from another common type of general pain known as acute pain. Acute pain happens like when you get hurt such as a broken bone, have a fall, or cut yourself badly. It does not last for long, and goes away as soon as your body has healed from whatever caused the pain.

However, chronic pain continues long after you have recovered from injury or an illness. Some common types of chronic pain include:

·         Joint pain such as arthritis.

·         Back pain from a disc-shift or collapse.

·         Neck pain causing severe nerve pains in the arms and shoulders.

·         Frequent painful headaches and debilitating migraines.

·         Lasting pain in scar tissue from a previous surgical procedure.

·         Muscle pain all over the body as a result of fibromyalgia.

These are just some of the forms of chronic pain you may experience.

What medications can relieve chronic pain?

Here are some of the meds which may help with certain types of chronic pain:

·         Nerve pain may be relieved by anti-seizure meds.

·         Antidepressants can help with anxiety which aggravates chronic pain.

·         Muscle relaxers may prevent muscle cramps and pains brought on by fibromyalgia.

·         Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce arthritic and back pain.

·         Sedatives or sleeping pills may help with the chronic pain of insomnia.

Although medication may be a part of the solution, most of these meds have possible side effects. Side effects affect different people in different ways, and should you have a bad reaction to your medication, it is unlikely that your chronic pain will be reduced.

 

Risk factors for chronic pain.

Many conditions or injuries can cause chronic pain, but there are some risk factors to note. These can include any of the following:

·         Genetics. Some causes of chronic pain like migraines and headaches, may run in the family line of heredity.

·         Obesity. If you are overweight or obese, this can worsen certain health conditions like arthritis, because of the extra pressure on your joints. 

·         Stress. Studies have shown that high levels of stress are connected to being unable to cope with chronic pain conditions. It has also been suggested that the post-traumatic stress disorder also contributes to the difficulty of coping with chronic pain situations. The study of pain is an ongoing research project which may offer more effective treatments for those affected by chronic pain.

Alternative treatments for chronic pain.

There is currently no cure for chronic pain, except to try and identify and treat, its cause. However, mental health experts agree that some unresolved issues in the mind may be contributing to chronic pain conditions, issues which could be causing stress and anxiety.

An excellent, recommended alternative treatment is that of hypnotherapy, and mindfulness training which teaches you how to stay calm. There have been some notable successes when medication, hypnotherapy, and lifestyle changes have been used in conjunction to lessen pain.

A competent, experienced therapist, will be able to help you.