Understanding and Managing Chronic Pain

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is a long-term condition that can be caused by many factors such as an injury, illness, or disease, and can result in a reduction of the quality of life. The cause can also be attributed to age, genetics, or environmental elements. It is a serious condition that affects one in five adults in America, according to recent research on the prevalence of chronic pain among adults.

More specifically, chronic pain can be caused by different types of arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, migraines, and other types of headaches. It can also be triggered by neck pain, nerve damage, osteoporosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, whiplash injuries that have extended beyond six months, and more.

Chronic pain can also be the result of a person's lifestyle choices such as smoking or drinking alcohol, and it is entirely possible to have two or more concurrent chronic pain conditions.

Symptoms are often described as a constant ache, throbbing, or burning sensation. It can also cause muscle spasms, or numbness and tingling in the affected area.

Other Pain Conditions:

Reports estimate that 50% to 80% experience at least one episode of back pain during their lifetime.

The National Library of Medicine indicates that treatment and management of chronic, non-cancerous back pain rarely respond to medications alone and that people dealing with chronic pain are often faced with dealing with depression as well.

Chronic pain syndrome.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), chronic neck pain affects 5- million people in the United States.

Chronic pain treatment. Chronic abdominal pain. Chronic muscle pain. chronic lower back pain. chronic knee pain

How Chronic Pain Can Change Your Life:

Acute pain comes on suddenly, then ends once the reason for the pain is also gone, but chronic pain conditions typically last more than three months and can make it difficult to sleep, complete activities of daily living, and adversely. More than 1 in 4 Americans experience some form of chronic pain during their lifetime.

It is important to know the signs of chronic pain so you can get help as soon as possible.

5 Contributions You Can Make to Managing Your pain:

Traditionally, medications are prescribed by your doctor to manage the pain and in some cases, surgery might be indicated. It is possible to ease some of the pain through lifestyle changes and behavior modifications as mentioned below depending on the cause and extent of the pain:

1) Exercise regularly to maintain muscle strength and flexibility.

2) Eat foods that contribute to reducing pain and inflammation.

3) Get enough sleep every night to help your body heal and restore itself.

4) Stick to the therapy or treatment as designed for best results.

5) Red Light Therapy can provide very effective pain management and positive results..

The Importance of Managing Your Chronic Pain:

Chronic pain can be difficult to treat, so it is important to treat it as soon as possible since it can lead to other conditions like depression and anxiety as mentioned previously.

The best way to treat chronic pain is by being consistent with your treatment plan. This means following the instructions as directed in the plan. Stick to the plan and do not give up too soon because sticking with it can get you on the road to recovery and feeling better in the long run.

We know how agonizing chronic pain can be. The good news is that there are promising options available to manage this type of pain and improve your quality of life. The Wellness Center offers the Gold Standard of Red Light Therapy, Whole Body Photobiomodulation to effectively address the conditions mentioned here, as well as many others, either alone or as a complementary therapy to other modalities.

Take the next step to wellness, and schedule a session with one of our facilitators to assist you today. Your first session is always free!

A.J. Harewood