Everyone experiences occasional aches and pains. Sudden pain is a significant reaction of the nervous system that helps alert you to possible injury. When an injury happens, pain signals travel from the injured area to your spinal cord and brain.
The pain will usually become less severe as the injury heals. However, chronic pain is different from normal pain. If you have chronic pain, your body continues to send pain signals to your brain, even after an injury cures. This pain can last several weeks to years. Chronic pain can reduce your strength, flexibility, and endurance. Because of this kind of pain, you may face problems doing your daily work.
Chronic pain may last for at least 12 weeks. You may feel both sharp or dull types of pain. This pain may be steady or intermittent, coming and going without any specific reason. It can occur in nearly any part of your body. You may not feel the same type of pain in different affected areas.
One may feel chronic pain in any part of the body. Some of the most common chronic pain are headache, postsurgical pain, lower back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain, etc.
What causes chronic pain?
An initial injury causes typically chronic pain, for example, a back sprain or pulled muscle. It’s believed that chronic pain improves after nerves become damaged. The nerve damage makes the pain more extreme and long-lasting or permanent. In these cases, treating the injury may not resolve chronic pain.
Sometimes people feel chronic pain without any previous injury. At that time, the exact causes of chronic pain aren’t well understood. Sometimes, The pain may result from an underlying health condition. These are:
- chronic fatigue syndrome: Specified by an extreme, prolonged weariness that’s often accompanied by pain
- endometriosis: It is a severe disorder that happens when the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus
- fibromyalgia: Extreme pain in the muscles and bones
However, interstitial cystitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), etc. are also the reasons for Chronic pain.
Who is at risk for chronic pain?
People of all ages can have chronic pain, but it’s most common in older adults. Besides age, other factors also that can increase your risk of improving chronic pain include:
- having an injury or accidents
- having surgery
- being female
- being overweight or obese
Chronic Back Pain
Mainly, this pain often happens in the lower back. The pain may be caused by an injury or improvement gradually Because of arthritis, osteoporosis, normal wear and tear, and so on.
Back pain has become an epidemic, and it is one of the main reasons for disability and lost productivity in the workplace today. Some common reasons for chronic back pain are Slipped or bulging discs, spinal stenosis, compression fractures, damaged tissues, structural deformities like scoliosis, lordosis, etc. You seek immediate remedies if you suspect that you have developed chronic back pain.
Chronic Headaches
According to research, 50% of the adult population will report headaches during a year, while more than 90% will report a lifetime history of headaches.
You may suffer from chronic headaches for at least 15 days per month for no less than three consecutive months. There are various types of chronic headaches. The most common types are tension headaches, eye strain headache, migraines, etc. These kinds of headaches occur because of stress, sleeping problems, hormonal problems, and so on.
Chronic Joint Pain
Chronic joint pain is caused by injury, infection, or advancing age. This pain is one of the leading types of chronic pain among adults. The common types of chronic joint pain are given below:
- Osteoarthritis, common in older people and typically affecting the larger joints of the body.
- Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder which creates swelling of the joint areas
- Repetitive motion injury, common in athletes or players and people who do strenuous physical activities or exercise.
- Tendinitis, created by the inflammation of joint tendons
Chronic Nerve Pain
According to a study, chronic nerve (neuropathic) pain affects one of every 10 Americans. This pain occurs when the nerves are either compressed, damaged, or exposed to drugs that strip their protective outer coating (called the myelin sheath).
Some of the common examples of chronic neuropathic pain are:
- Sciatica, generally caused by nerve compression, which triggers severe pain down the leg
- Diabetic neuropathy, frequently occurring in the hands or feet
- Carpal tunnel syndrome, commonly related to repetitive motion
- Postherpetic neuralgia, a type of pain which continue after a shingles outbreak
How is chronic pain treated?
The aim of the treatment is to decrease pain and boost strength. This helps you return to your daily work without discomfort.
The severity and constancy of chronic pain can differ from person to person. So doctors make pain management plans that are particular to each person. The pain management plan will depend on your symptoms and health conditions. Medical treatments, lifestyle remedies, or a mixture of these methods may be used to treat your chronic pain.
Dealing with chronic pain
There is not a cure for chronic pain, but you can manage the condition successfully. It’s essential to stick to your pain management plan to help soothe symptoms.
We know that physical pain is connected to emotional pain so that chronic pain can increase your stress levels. Building personal skills can help you cope with any stress related to your condition. Here we suggest some steps that you can take to reduce stress:
Take good care of your body: Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating well, getting enough sleep, and regular exercising can keep your body healthy and reduce stress feelings.
Continue taking part in your daily activities and hobbies: You can improve your mood and decrease stress levels by participating in your hobbies or activities that you enjoy and socializing with friends and family members. Chronic pain may make it hard to perform specific works. But separating yourself can give you a more melancholic vibe on your condition and increase your pain sensitivity.
However, You can get help from Friends, family, and support groups during difficult times. Whether you have trouble with daily tasks or you’re only in need of an emotional improvement, a friend or loved one can provide the support you need and desire.
