Chronic Pain: Know the Causes and Risks

All of us have experienced pain of some form in our lives; whether it was the slight bruises of childhood or a stomach ache, we know the feeling. But chronic pain is a slow eater that most of us are unaware of. Unlike the temporary/acute form of pain, chronic pain can be devastating and life changing.

Chronic pain does not attack anyone in a certain age group or in a specific medical condition. It can become a liability on anyone. Untreated pain (and other untreated symptoms) can grow into a fierce form of chronic pain that can put a lot to risk.

Any physical trauma ranging from an injury to an illness can become a chronic nuisance if not treated on time. Chronic pain is any pain that lasts for months or years, and does not necessarily remind one of an untreated medical condition. The pain can be experienced in two situations: after treating an injury e.g. arm pain after treatment of an arm fracture, or due to some uncured (or probably unidentified) illness. The latter form is rather alarming and beckons for immediate attention.

Chronic pain must be probed immediately for its cause, as it can be associated to serious conditions like arthritis or cancer. In some cases, the pain might not have any origin at all; it could be a chronic muscular pain.

The most common cause is an injury that took place in an accident or even something like carpal tunnel. No matter what the case, the pain can be excruciating and majorly affect the person’s lifestyle.

In all instances, the pain must never go untreated. Immediately consult a medical facility to get advice from pain management doctors and chronic pain experts. You will be given advice on how to control the chronic pain, and eliminate it completely. Just how the pain takes months to become a permanent pest in your body, it will take some time to go away.

Treatment of chronic pain is not very effortless; apart from pain-relieving medication you will need to alter your lifestyle to make it healthier. Doctors suggest exercises, yoga, meditation, balanced diets and even acupuncture for pain treatments. A healthy lifestyle will help the body stay in shape, and combat the causes of pain more efficiently.

Those suffering from chronic pain also suffer from emotional distress, anxiety, insomnia, and even immobility. The pain can greatly affect a person’s quality of life and morale, causing long-term depression to seep in and create further problems. In more severe cases, patients might need to consult an emotional therapist in order to come back to normal life.

Untreated pain can have severe physical and emotional consequences. Never leave a pain treatment for tomorrow; you never know what might be causing the pain in the first place. In most cases, it is the non-drug treatments and lifestyle improvement that make the most difference. Treat pain before it becomes chronic and almost invincible; the sooner the better!

The above post is a guest blog post.