Managing Chronic Pain: Effective Strategies

Generally, the occasional aches and pain we experience go away after a few hours. We can also easily deal with such pain by taking generic pain medications, however, certain types simply don’t go away that easily. While pain is necessary for identifying injuries and illnesses, it is usually supposed to lessen and go away as the illness or injury gets better. Called chronic pain, these continuous aches can heavily affect our daily life functions, causing hindrances in doing even minimal tasks. 

To call any kind of pain chronic, it has to last for more than 12 weeks. The feeling can vary from person to person. Some may feel sharp and stinging pain, and some only have dull, continuous aches. There are a lot of reasons why someone might suffer from chronic pain syndrome. This article delves more into the causes of such pain and provides some insight into what one can do to treat or cope with it.

Chronic Pain Symptoms: How to Know You Have Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain can differ for everyone. Listed below you’ll find a list of some common sensations that, if lasting longer than 12 weeks, might be caused by chronic pain syndrome:

1. Sharp or stabbing pain somewhere in the body
2. Dull aches all over your body
3. Throbbing pain
4. Tingling sensations
5. Burning sensations
6. Stiffness in body
7. Shooting pain in body parts
8. Soreness in your body
9. Secondary effects:  Exhaustion, mood swings, insomnia, or irritability

Types of Chronic Pain

If you experience the above signs or symptoms, you may have chronic pain, which is categorised into the following: 

1. Neuropathic Chronic Pain

This type of chronic pain happens when the person suffering from it has faced some form of nerve damage. It can happen mostly due to diabetes-related problems.

2. Nociceptive Chronic Pain 

This often times leads to aching, burning, or stabbing sensations. This can happen when you have some damaged tissue caused by an accident, surgery, or dental operation.

3. Musculoskeletal Pain 

This kind of chronic ache can occur in the ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, or bones in our bodies due to excessive use, injury or inflammation.

4. Inflammatory Chronic Pain 

This occurs when your body’s immune system reacts due to inflammation which may result from conditions such as autoimmune disorders or after injury.

5. Psychogenic Chronic Pain 

Psychogenic chronic pain happens to us due to psychological conditions. For example, pain occurring due to depression or anxiety can be psychogenic.

6. Mechanical Chronic Pain 

This happens whenever a person’s joints, vertebrates, or any of the surrounding tissue areas go under any kind of physical stress and pressure.

Causes Behind Chronic Pain

The causes behind feeling chronic pain can differ from person to person and are dependent on a certain number of factors that are listed below for your reference:

• Old age (65 and over)
• History of injury 
• Smoking habits
• Obesity 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

These factors can be called reasons of risk for chronic pain. Listed below you’ll find the major causes due to which people can start suffering from chronic aches:

1. Inflammatory issues (arthritis and/or psoriasis)
2. Muscle sprains
3. Chronic conditions (diabetes and/or cancer)
4. Bone fractures
5. Fibromyalgia (dull ache and/or soreness in joints, muscles and bones)
6. Neurological disorders (migraines)
7. Psychological conditions (depression and/or anxiety)

Chronic Pain Treatment and Management

Chronic pain management and treatment are all dependent on the cause of your pain. Consulting a doctor to track the exact cause can be a beneficial first step towards treating these aches. Another factor that influences chronic pain treatment is the severity of the cause. Some can be controlled by medicines, while others require extensive procedures. Listed below, you’ll find more about some of the ways chronic pain is treated:

1. Medicines

• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications (acetaminophen: Tylenol)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Aspirin: Bufferin or ibuprofen: Advil)
• Opioid pain medications (morphine: MS Contin, codeine, Ultram: tramadol), and hydrocodone: Tussigon)
• Adjuvant analgesics (antidepressants and anticonvulsants like Elavil: amitriptyline, Effexor: venlafaxine, Voltaren: diclofenac, or Lidoderm: lidocaine)

Procedures

• Electrical shocks that can reduce pain in muscles
• Nerve block injections that take away your nerves’ ability to send pain signals to the brain
• Acupuncture therapy
• Surgical procedures

2. Home Remedies

• Physiotherapy (physical therapy)
• Tai chi (martial arts)
• Yoga
• Creative therapy (arts and music)
• Pet therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Massages
• Meditation therapy
• Swimming
• Avoiding smoking

Conclusion

Chronic pain can be long-lasting and, in some cases, can last a lifetime. It often causes hindrances in daily life, especially if left untreated. Chronic pain relief can be achieved properly if you keep certain things in mind. One of the most important steps towards lessening chronic aches is getting a consultation as soon as you can. Eating nourishing food, taking care of your physical health, engaging in therapy, and regularly taking medications as prescribed can help you manage your chronic pain syndrome.