Pain is your body’s reaction when you are ill or injured. However, if the pain persists even after recovery and extends for 3 to 6 months or beyond, it is referred to as chronic pain. It is a common condition, with nearly 25% of adults in the country experiencing it and requiring medical care.
Chronic pain can impact your physical and mental well-being. However, innovative and advanced pain management strategies are available that can help you to manage your symptoms better and enhance your quality of life.
This blog discusses the types of chronic pain, its causes, and symptoms and offers effective tips and strategies for managing chronic pain.
Chronic pain can affect different parts of the body. A few of the common types of chronic pain are:
Several factors ranging from diseases and injuries to psychological issues, can cause chronic pain. They include:
Arthritis is a common chronic condition that refers to the swelling, pain, and stiffness of joints. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While osteoarthritis leads to the breakdown of cartilage, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the joints causing inflammation.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic medical condition that causes pain and tenderness in your muscles and joints, resulting in fatigue and memory issues. It is a recurring pain that you may feel in shorter episodes, also known as flare-ups.
Back pains may cause pain anywhere from the neck to the lower spine. They may occur due to an injury, muscle strain, or spinal deformity. The two most common chronic back pain causes are herniated discs, an injury of the spine in which one of the spinal discs ruptures or bulges, and spinal stenosis, a condition in which pressure is created on the spinal cord and the nerve roots due to the narrowing of the space around the spine.
Postherpetic neuralgia is a chronic pain that continues in those parts of the skin where you have shingles as the nerve fibers are damaged. Mostly seen in people over 60, leading to burning pain in the skin and nerves.
CRPS is a neurological condition that causes prolonged pain in the arms or legs following an injury, surgery, stroke, or heart attack.
If you have several periods of severe headaches or migraines that may extend to almost 15 days in a month, you have chronic migraine. This condition mainly affects women, and the factor triggering the migraine may vary from hormone changes to lack of sleep, stress, or excess caffeine.
When you experience pain in the area between the belly button and the hips for six months or longer, you may be suffering from chronic pelvic pain. This condition can be due to several reasons, including musculoskeletal issues, sexually transmitted diseases, fibroids, or irritable bowel syndrome.
To feel pain after surgery is expected, but if the pain continues for more than 3 months, you may have CPSP. It may be due to the type of surgery you had, damage to nerves during surgery, a pre-existing pain condition, or mental health issues.
CFS, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, causes severe fatigue that may last for six months or more. You suffer extreme exhaustion after any physical or mental activity and have memory problems, experience dizziness, pain in the muscles and joints, and feel tired even after sleeping.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that occurs when endometrial tissues grow outside the uterine cavity. The condition causes severe pain during menstrual periods, sexual intercourse, and bowel movements and may lead to fertility issues.
After you suffer trauma or injury, the nervous system becomes hyperactive, which leads to tensing of muscles. This unnatural state of your muscles being tensed can be painful and cause chronic pain.
You may have chronic pain even without suffering an illness or injury. Psychological factors such as anxiety, stress, and depression can cause chronic pain in different parts of the body, especially back and neck pain.
If you have chronic pain, you may experience any of the following symptoms:
You can incorporate specific activities in your daily schedule and make certain lifestyle changes that help you to manage your pain better. Here are a few effective chronic pain management strategies:
Deep breathing exercises boost muscle relaxation and ease pain. Other practices, such as meditation and mindfulness, also act as effective stress relievers.
Stressful situations can make your chronic pain condition more severe. Pursue a hobby, listen to calming music, get a relaxing massage, or simply focus on your breathing as they help you to control your stress levels from spiralling.
Exercises have multiple benefits in managing chronic pain. They help you to regulate your weight, reduce the aggravation of existing medical conditions, strengthen your muscles to avoid injuries, and release a mood-enhancing chemical called endorphins.
A balanced diet ensures that you get all the vital nutrients needed to provide you with the required energy to remain stronger and fitter, and better equipped to manage chronic pain symptoms.
Stop practicing any habits that do not contribute to your well-being, such as drinking alcohol and smoking, is highly beneficial for chronic pain in the long term.
Interacting with people who face the same challenges as you do makes you feel less isolated. Also, you learn several new helpful tips from their experiences to manage your symptoms better.
At Michigan Neurology Associates & Pain Consultants, our team of trained and experienced medical and interventional pain specialists offer customized pain management strategies and solutions that ensure faster pain relief and improved movement. If you are looking for a trusted pain management center in Metro Detroit Area, call us today to schedule an appointment.
