WHAT IS CHRONIC PAIN?
What is chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than 3 months. Some experts define it as lasting longer than 6 months. This is unlike acute pain which is short in duration. Chronic pain is different from acute pain in that it is not easy to find the cause. Diagnosis can reveal no injury in the body at all, and yet the patient can be experiencing intense pain symptoms.
Evidence-based research suggests that when acute pain does not resolve within a few months, continued activation of nerves that transmit pain (nociceptors) may result in changes in the spinal cord and brain (CNS changes) that can eventually lead to the development of chronic pain. This knowledge of CNS changes due to prolonged pain may help to explain the disproportionate and non-dermatomal presentation of chronic pain and may help in the diagnosis and treatment of the individual.
Chronic pain results when the underlying cause of pain cannot be treated. It is persistent and sometimes debilitating. This type of pain is often associated with a long-term or life-threatening illness. A person experiencing chronic pain may be depressed, withdrawn, and exhausted. Common complaints and causes of chronic pain include: arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain/sciatica, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurogenic pain, chronic muscular injuries etc.
Treatment for chronic pain may include medications, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, alternative therapies counseling, as well as many other therapies.
Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than 3 months. Some experts define it as lasting longer than 6 months. This is unlike acute pain which is short in duration. Chronic pain is different from acute pain in that it is not easy to find the cause. Diagnosis can reveal no injury in the body at all, and yet the patient can be experiencing intense pain symptoms.
Evidence-based research suggests that when acute pain does not resolve within a few months, continued activation of nerves that transmit pain (nociceptors) may result in changes in the spinal cord and brain (CNS changes) that can eventually lead to the development of chronic pain. This knowledge of CNS changes due to prolonged pain may help to explain the disproportionate and non-dermatomal presentation of chronic pain and may help in the diagnosis and treatment of the individual.
Chronic pain results when the underlying cause of pain cannot be treated. It is persistent and sometimes debilitating. This type of pain is often associated with a long-term or life-threatening illness. A person experiencing chronic pain may be depressed, withdrawn, and exhausted. Common complaints and causes of chronic pain include: arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain/sciatica, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurogenic pain, chronic muscular injuries etc.
Treatment for chronic pain may include medications, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, alternative therapies counseling, as well as many other therapies.
