The Thing About Chronic Pain
Understanding chronic pain
Pain has many different meanings. It is a state of physical or mental distress that can be acute (causing sudden pain), chronic (having a long duration), and even painful without an apparent cause. Chronic pain is often caused by an ongoing illness or injury and may be temporary, but some people live with chronic pain every day for many years.
The truth is, chronic pain can be caused by many different things. Some causes of chronic pain include nerve damage, injuries, arthritis, or illnesses like diabetes or cancer. What makes chronic pain even more frustrating? Finding the cause of the chronic pain isn’t always easy- especially if it’s due to an illness that can change over time (like cancer). That’s why it’s important to talk with our doctors who can help you understand your diagnosis and what treatments might be best for you.
What are the possible causes of chronic pain?
The possible causes of chronic pain include:
- Injuries. Injury is a common cause of chronic pain, and often the pain can last for months or even years after the injury has healed. This is called post-injury chronic pain and it can be prevented by following proper healing techniques and rehabilitation procedures.
- Diseases and disorders. Diseases and disorders such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and fibromyalgia can also lead to chronic pain. Pain from these diseases is often managed with medication or other treatments.
- Surgery. Some people experience chronic pain after undergoing surgery like spinal fusion surgery because they are unable to move their body as freely as before the operation.
- Mental health conditions. Chronic pain is not always caused by an injury or disease; sometimes it starts with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety that affect how we feel in general, including our physical wellbeing.
Managing your chronic pain
If you have chronic pain, the first thing you should do is try to manage it. Our doctors may prescribe medications to help alleviate your pain. If medications don’t help, we may consider therapy or other treatments.
There are many different ways to manage chronic pain. You can use a variety of techniques from active and passive forms of treatment, such as physical therapy, psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and complementary therapies. In some cases, a combination of these treatments will be needed in order to find a treatment method that works for you.
There are several different types of chronic pain, and the one our specialists here at VHI help to manage is chronic pelvic pain. We offer a number of treatment options, so please contact us today to schedule a time to come by.
