Chronic Pain
Everyone has occasional aches and pains. While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system alerting you of a possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts at least 12 weeks. The pain may feel sharp or dull, causing a burning or aching sensation in the affected areas. It may be steady or intermittent, coming and going without any apparent reason. “Chronic pain persists for weeks, months, even years,” said Emily Graf, DO, Lakeshore Orthopaedics. There may have been an initial mishap – sprained back, serious infection, or an ongoing cause of pain – arthritis, cancer, ear infection. “However, some people suffer chronic pain without any evidence of a past injury.” “Chronic pain can occur in nearly any part of your body and can feel different in the various affected areas and can limit mobility and reduce flexibility, strength, and endurance making it challenging to get through normal daily tasks and activities,” said Dr. Graf. Some of the most common types of chronic pain include: • headache • postsurgical pain • post-trauma pain • lower back pain • cancer pain • arthritis pain • neurogenic pain (pain caused by nerve damage) • psychogenic pain (pain that isn’t caused by disease, injury, or nerve damage)
Chronic pain can affect people of all ages, but it’s most common in older adults. Besides age, other factors that can increase the risk for developing chronic pain include: • an injury • surgery • being female • being overweight or obese
Chronic pain can be likened to other chronic diseases such as diabetes. A person needs to manage his or her diabetes to prevent it from getting worse and causing other problems and it is not quickly cured or fixed. The same is true for chronic pain. “It is important for people suffering with chronic pain to be well informed about their treatments in order to help alleviate fears and anxiety that can interfere with their carefully and appropriately selected treatments,” said Dr. Graf. Education can also prevent unrealistic expectations that lead to disappointment; a feeling that the treatment is not working. “Our pain management team of doctors understand that chronic pain forces people to live an adjusted and restrained lifestyle and are committed to work with you to assess your condition and develop a treatment plan specific to your needs.” Chronic pain affects all aspects of a person’s life, not just their physical functioning. “The practice of pain management uses an array of treatment methods for chronic pain, because the pain experienced can vary from mild to excruciating, episodic to continuous, and be inconvenient to completely incapacitating,” said Dr. Graf. The longer the pain lasts, the more emotional and mentally distressed a person becomes. This distress can make pain worsen over time and decrease a person’s ability to function. “I tell my patients that chronic pain is not “all in your head”, but it does affect your brain and by actively focusing on the whole person is the most effective way to treat it.”
