Chronic pain is also known as persistent or long-term pain is the pain that continues for more than three months persisting beyond the normal time that tissues take to heal following an injury. As an injury heals, usually the pain will become less severe. However, chronic pain is different from typical pain. With chronic pain, the body continues to send pain signals to the brain, even after an injury heals. This can be considered as a disease state persisting for months and years in response to being overly sensitive to a perceived threat of harm to the body despite the absence of tissue damage.
Chronic pain can limit your mobility and reduce your flexibility, strength, and endurance. This may make it challenging to get through daily tasks and activities.
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 can occur in nearly any part of your body.
Causes for chronic pain
Chronic pain is usually caused by an initial injury followed by nerve damage which makes the pain more intense and long-lasting.
But some patients experience them without any prior injury. Although the cause is not clearly understood, sometimes this may occur as a result of,
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Endometriosis
Fibromyalgia
Inflammatory bowel disease
Interstitial cystitis
Vulvodynia
Chronic pain is associated with a wide range of conditions such as,
Lower back pain
Cervical and thoracic pain
Shoulder pain
Headache disorders
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Cancer
Fibromyalgia
Lower back pain will cause more disabilities than any other condition.
Risk of chronic pain
This is a significant global health burden affecting both children and adults having reported 10% - 20% of the population.
Found commonly in adults. Besides age the other risk factors are,
Having an injury
Underwent a surgery
Being female
Being overweight or obese
Symptoms of chronic pain
The pain may range from mild to severe, may feel like,
A dull ache
Throbbing
Burning
Shooting
Squeezing
Stinging
Soreness
Stiffness
The patients with chronic pain will,
Find themselves in the vicious cycle of pain that is not solely due to the progression of the disease.
Avoid movements that provoke symptoms of pain.
Take rest leading to secondary stiffness and weakness worsening the symptoms.
Have trouble sleeping and lack energy.
Loose stamina and flexibility
Have mood changes
Experience loss of role and self-esteem
Several factors influence chronic pain. They are,
Tissue damage - the nociceptive input which initiates the pain
Pain sensation - perception occurring in the brain following nociception at the site of injury
Emotions - the person’s response to thoughts about the pain like fear, depression, and anxiety
Suffering - the degree of pain a person has to endure
Pain behaviors - the behavior of people when they are in pain. This is the response shown to the above-mentioned factors
Psychosocial environment – the environment in which the individual lives, works, and plays
Treatment
there are several treatment strategies to provide relief from chronic pain in the medical world. physical therapy is a key treatment among those. It plays a major role in chronic as well as acute pain management.
The main goal of physiotherapy treatment is to reduce pain and boost mobility. Physiotherapy helps people suffering from chronic pain to develop skills to manage and take control of this condition to increase their activity and quality of life. The physiotherapists help the patients suffering from chronic pain by using tools such as,
Pain education
Coping strategies
Problem-solving
Pacing activities
Sleep hygiene
Relaxation
Physiotherapists have unique skills to recommend specific exercise programs to help relieve the pain. The benefits of exercise programs include,
Help controlling the pain
Maintain flexibility and movement
Improve cardiovascular health
Build and keep muscle tone
Increase the confidence to take part in activities
Improve mood and general wellbeing
Reduce fear and taking back control of your life
The severity and frequency of chronic pain can differ among individuals.
Patients are often fearful of exercise due to they believe it may cause more harm. but if you consult a physiotherapist and exercise as prescribed by them you won't need to get frightened. Physiotherapists often see patients with chronic pain on an individual basis. Your physiotherapist will assess you and work with you on an agreed treatment plan. physiotherapists will determine the exercise programs depending on the symptoms and any underlying health conditions.
A physiotherapist can also identify practical ways to help, such as making sure you have the correct equipment or the right shoes. Physiotherapists also see patients at a pain management clinic, working as part of a specialist team.
Therefore consulting a physiotherapist is necessary to overcome chronic pains and restore quality of life.
References
https://physiocouncil.com.au/physiotherapists-role-in-chronic-pain-is-this-years-theme-for-world-physical-therapy-day/
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