When you are injured, you will experience pain in the healing process, as your body is still sensitive as it recovers. However, there are times when the pain doesn’t subside from the injury and continues to disrupt your life. This is referred to as “chronic pain,” a condition that more than 25 million Americans live with daily. Chronic pain refers to near-constant pain that can flare up at any time. It can last for three to six months and oftentimes doesn’t have a direct trigger.
Chronic pain varies from one patient to another. However, almost every patient that seeks medical treatment reaches out because they cannot handle living with this condition. Here’s what you need to know about chronic pain, how it can affect your life, and how to find relief.
Chronic pain is identified by its consistency. You may experience a dull throbbing throughout the day that worsens at certain times or a sudden throbbing that occurs at any time. While you might not be in pain every hour of the day, the threat that pain could occur at any moment is what makes it chronic. Patients who live with chronic pain often have to limit their movements and put their lives on hold because of this condition.
There are two key types of pain: chronic and acute. Acute pain is the direct result of an injury. When you stub your toe, you experience acute pain in your foot. If you cut your hand, you will experience acute pain when the wound is exposed to salt or lemon juice. This pain doesn’t last long and it goes away entirely as your body heals.
Chronic pain continues long after an injury. For example, if you break your foot but still experience pain long after you stop using crutches and wearing a cast, you may have chronic pain. Chronic pain can also occur without any known cause. You may experience chronic pain in your back or neck even if you haven’t injured it.
Chronic pain can be harder to treat because doctors need to understand why there is pain and what caused it – it isn’t as simple as placing a bandage on a wound.
Chronic Back Pain
There are 26 vertebrae and 23 discs in your spine. When something is wrong with even one of these elements, you can experience chronic back pain. This type of chronic pain can stem from a variety of conditions ranging from a herniated disc to degenerative disc disease.
The sheer length of the spine means you can experience pain in your cervical area (your neck) all the way down to your lumbar area (your buttocks). Pain can occur at any point along the spine.
Chronic Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain can be a symptom of poor spinal health (particularly in the cervical spine) or it can be a condition on its own. Chronic neck pain often comes from keeping your head at the same angle, or at a suboptimal angle, throughout the day. For example, doctors often talk about “text neck” when discussing chronic neck pain. This occurs when you spend hours looking down at your phone, placing added strain on your neck muscles.
To treat chronic neck pain, your doctor may recommend a few lifestyle changes to see if it goes away on its own.
Chronic Stomach Pain
Stomach pain is also called abdominal pain and refers to discomfort in your core. You may experience pain anywhere from your ribs through your pelvis. Stomach pain can be difficult to diagnose because there are so many organs and key muscle groups in this area of your body.
Chronic pain in your abdomen could be a sign of a serious condition, like issues with your gallbladder, liver, and appendix. Seek medical help immediately if you have other conditions like a fever or diarrhea.
Chronic Muscle Pain
Muscle pain is also called chronic myofascial pain (CMP) and affects both your muscles and the sheath of tissue that surrounds them. This can occur anywhere in the body and is common in both male and female adults.
With CMP, you may experience a “tender point” in your body that is highly sensitive. It may hurt to use this muscle or even to touch it. This point is always sore, which makes the pain chronic, but it can also flare up with use.
CMP has a variety of causes, ranging from poor posture (placing added stress on muscles) to overexercise. Anxiety and depression can also cause muscle tension which leads to pain.
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is known as nerve pain. When the nerves in your body are stressed or damaged, you may experience chronic pain in various parts of the body. About 30% of all nerve pain occurs as a result of diabetes. However, other diseases can also damage the nervous system and leave you in pain.
Nerve pain occurs when damaged fibers send the wrong signals to the brain. When nerves work correctly, they alert the brain to danger – like a hand on a hot stove. When they are damaged, they might send warning signals and pain to the brain, even if the body isn’t in distress.
Neuropathic pain can feel like “pins and needles” or “burning pain” can be brought on by normally non-painful stimuli.
Chronic pain comes in many forms and the symptoms will vary depending on the cause of your pain. In some cases, chronic pain may feel like a dull ache that never subsides. In other cases, pain can feel like a burning sensation, stiffness, stinging, throbbing, or squeezing.
Chronic pain can create additional symptoms which can make it harder to live with this condition. Patients with chronic pain also report high levels of anxiety and depression, fatigue, insomnia, and mood swings. This is particularly true if the pain prevents them from falling asleep or limits the types of activities they can do.
Every patient experiences pain for different reasons, which is why a diagnosis is so hard. Some people experience pain from former injuries that healed improperly or from long-lasting illnesses.
If your pain isn’t tied to a former injury or illness, there may be a new issue that is causing you discomfort. For example, patients with back pain may have worn-out spinal discs that are causing vertebrae to rub against each other. This pain can develop over time and worsen when left untreated.
Finally, there may be lifestyle factors that contribute to your pain. If you have poor posture and slouch throughout the day at a desk, you may be at increased risk for experiencing neck or back pain. Risk factors for chronic pain increase with age and in patients who smoke and who are obese.
There could be one single cause of your chronic pain or several factors that leave you in immense discomfort and contribute to a lower quality of life.
If you experience chronic pain, your doctor will work to identify the root cause. They will ask about your medical history and discuss when the pain started, where it is located, and what makes it feel better or worse. During this consultation, your doctor will ask you to describe what it feels like, in order to identify what may be the cause.
Along with identifying the type of pain, your doctor will also ask about the severity. They may use a pain scale to help you identify how much pain you are in. These range from light pain on one end, where you can still enjoy life and complete necessary tasks, to extreme pain during which you can’t even speak.
Once your doctor has a clear understanding of your symptoms, they will order tests to get a clear look at your body. For example, they may order an MRI if they suspect that you have a herniated disc. The doctor’s goal is to identify what is causing the pain so they can treat the core issue, not just the symptoms.
Once your doctor has an understanding of your pain, they will make recommendations for how to treat it. These treatments will vary based on the cause of the pain and the options available to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend basic lifestyle changes and at-home activities – like stretching or light physical therapy. They can then move on to prescription treatments and surgical intervention.
If your doctor decides to treat your chronic pain with medicine, they will give you a prescription with a clear goal in mind. They may recommend anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxers, steroids, or other medication with pain-relieving qualities. Opioids are prescribed as a last resort.
While your doctor may treat your pain with medicine, they will also give you other instructions to reduce your chances of experiencing pain. For example, if your pain is caused by poor posture and you drive professionally, they may recommend adjusting your seat or investing in a support system so you can work without pain. This can help target the root cause of chronic pain.
If your doctor decides that you are not a good candidate for medication or if you do not feel comfortable with it, they may recommend other treatments. These can range from acupuncture to yoga. These non-prescription treatments can help your nerves and your muscles.
If you make the required lifestyle changes and follow the course of treatment that is prescribed, you will likely feel less pain day-to-day. However, this isn’t always the case. If your chronic pain persists, your doctor may recommend treating your pain surgically. Patients with degenerative disc disease may qualify for an artificial disc replacement, which removes the damaged disc that causes pain and replaces it with an artificial one. While these procedures are completely safe, your doctor will only recommend them if they are necessary.
Regardless of whether your pain is manageable or unbearable, communicate clearly with your doctor. Let them know if your pain levels increase or decrease – and any potential life factors that could contribute to these changes. This is important information for your diagnosis and your treatment.
If you experience pain in your back or neck, request a consultation with Dr. Todd Lanman at the Advanced Disc Replacement Spinal Restoration Center. Dr. Lanman has a 30-year track record as a leading expert in spinal surgery and advanced disc replacement as well as in accurately diagnosing and treating spinal problems to help patients live without pain and with improved mobility.
Request a consultation today and find relief from your chronic pain, for good.