Pain synonyms everyone has aches and pains from time to time. In fact, sudden pain is a key response of the nervous system that helps you know when you might have been hurt. When you get hurt, pain signals go from the place where you got hurt up your spinal cord and to your brain.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Most of the time, the pain will get better as the injury heals. But pain that lasts for a long time is different from normal pain. When you have chronic pain, your body sends pain signals to your brain even after an injury has healed. This can go on for weeks or even years. Chronic pain can make it hard to move around and make you less flexible, strong, and able to keep going. This could make it hard to do the things you need to do every day.
Pain that lasts for at least 12 weeks is called chronic pain. The pain may be sharp or dull, making the affected area feel like it’s burning or aching. It could be constant or it could come and go for no clear reason. Pain that lasts for a long time can happen almost anywhere on your body. Pain can feel different in different parts of the body.
Some of the most common kinds of pain that last for a long time are:
- headache
- postsurgical pain
- post-trauma pain
- Pain in the low back
- cancer pain
- Arthritis hurts
- neurogenic pain (pain caused by nerve damage)
- Pain that isn’t caused by disease, injury, or nerve damage is called psychogenic pain.
The American Academy of Pain Medicine says that chronic pain affects more than 1.5 billion people around the world. It is the most common cause of long-term disability in the United States, affecting about 100 million people.
What makes pain last a long time?
Most of the time, a back sprain or pulled muscle is what causes pain to last for a long time. People think that nerves that have been damaged cause chronic pain. Damage to the nerves makes the pain worse and lasts longer. In these situations, treating the injury that caused the pain may not stop the pain from coming back.
In some cases, though, people have chronic pain without ever having hurt themselves. No one really knows what causes chronic pain that has nothing to do with an injury. Sometimes the pain is caused by an underlying health problem, such as:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome is marked by extreme, long-lasting tiredness that is often paired with pain.
- Endometriosis is a painful condition in which the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus.
- fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain in many bones and muscles.
IBD is a group of diseases that cause painful, long-term inflammation in the digestive tract. - Interstitial cystitis is a long-term condition that causes pain and pressure in the bladder. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a painful condition that causes the jaw to click, pop, or lock.
- vulvodynia is a pain in the vulva that lasts for a long time and has no clear cause.
Who is likely to have long-term pain?
People of all ages can have chronic pain, but older adults are most likely to have it. Besides age, the following things can make you more likely to have chronic pain:
- having an injury
- having surgery
- being female being overweight or obese
How do you treat chronic pain?
The main goal of treatment is to lessen pain and make it easier to move around. This makes it easy for you to get back to your daily life.
Different people can experience chronic pain in different ways and at different times. So, doctors make plans for each person that help them deal with their pain. Your plan for dealing with pain will depend on how you feel and if you have any other health problems. Chronic pain can be treated with medical treatments, changes to the way you live, or a mix of both.
Medicines for long-term pain
There are many kinds of medicines that can help with chronic pain. Here are just a few:
- over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin (Bufferin) or ibuprofen (Advil).
- Opioid painkillers, such as morphine (MS Contin), codeine, and hydrocodone, are among the most addictive (Tussigon)
adjuvant analgesics, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants
Medical treatments for long-term pain
Chronic pain can also be helped by certain medical procedures. Here are a few examples:
- electrical stimulation sends small electric shocks into your muscles to ease pain.
- A nerve block is an injection that stops nerves from sending your brain pain signals.
- acupuncture, in which needles are used to lightly prick your skin to relieve pain.
- surgery, which corrects injuries that may have healed improperly and that may be contributing to the pain
Lifestyle Solutions for long-term pain
There are also many ways to change your lifestyle to help ease chronic pain. Examples include:
- physical therapy
- Tai chi\syoga\sart and music therapy
- Animal care
- psychotherapy\smassage\smeditation
Having to deal with constant pain
There isnβt a cure for chronic pain, but the condition can be managed successfully. It’s important to stick to your plan for dealing with pain if you want to feel better.
Since physical pain and emotional pain are linked, having chronic pain can make you feel more stressed. Getting better at handling your emotions can help you deal with any stress that comes from your condition. Here are some steps you can take to reduce stress:
Take good care of your body:Β Eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly can keep your body healthy and reduce feelings of stress.
Continue taking part in your daily activities:Β You can boost your mood and decrease stress by participating in activities you enjoy and socializing with friends. Chronic pain may make it challenging to perform certain tasks. But being alone can make you think less positively about your condition and make you feel more pain.
Ask for help. Friends, family, and support groups can give you a hand and make you feel better when things are hard. If you’re having trouble with daily tasks or just need an emotional boost, a close friend or loved one can help.
Read more…