Although chronic pain can feel like a battle you fight alone, it’s actually a very common ailment. More than 20 percent of US adults experience chronic pain, each of them suffering from unique symptoms and mysterious causes, making diagnosis and treatment often difficult. Understanding what triggers your chronic pain is the first step in managing it.
What is Chronic Pain?
There are two kinds of pain: acute pain and chronic pain. Whereas acute pain is a sign that you may be injured, chronic pain is different. Unlike acute pain, chronic pain may last for weeks, months, or even years. Chronic pain can be the result of an injury or infection, or it may be caused by an ongoing condition like arthritis or cancer. In other cases, there is no clear cause.
How Common is Chronic Pain?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about three million reported cases of chronic pain annually, but up to 50 million adults may suffer from chronic pain without reporting it. Other facts:
- Chronic pain increases with age and is highest among those 65 and older.
- Instances go up among people in rural locations.
Tips for Coping with Chronic Pain
Treatment options like ketamine infusions or psychotherapy are just part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Other things patients can do to cope with chronic pain include:
- Avoiding smoking.
- Practicing moderation. A daily schedule with limited priorities and periods of rest and self-care is a good idea.
- Eating healthy foods.
- Exercising regularly.
- Getting enough sleep.
- Finding a support group to learn from your peers with similar conditions.
- Restricting alcohol use, which can exacerbate issues with sleep and pain.
Triggers for Chronic Pain
Sometimes you know exactly what caused your chronic pain.It may be the result of a long-term illness like arthritis or cancer. It may also follow an injury or ailment that has left you more susceptible to pain. Unfortunately, these changes can be stubborn and persistent, remaining in place long after you’ve recovered from the initial injury or disease. The long-term consequences of a muscle sprain, a broken bone, or even a short-term infection can result in chronic pain.
Some people have also reported chronic pain unrelated to a wound or physical illness. This may be referred to as psychogenic pain or psychosomatic pain. It’s derived from psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, and stress. Many researchers are convinced this link comes from small amounts of endorphins in a person’s blood. Endorphins are organic chemicals that result in positive feelings.
It’s possible that several causes of pain can overlap. You could suffer from two distinct diseases, for example, or you could experience a painful combination of migraines and psychogenic pain simultaneously.
Specific triggers may include:
- Endometriosis, which is a painful ailment that happens when the uterine lining grows externally from the uterus
- Fibromyalgia, which is a well-known pain occurring in bones and muscles
- Inflammatory bowel disease, or a group of disorders that result in painful, chronic inflammation inside the digestive tract
- Interstitial cystitis, which is a long-term disorder characterized by bladder pain and pressure
Many pain symptoms are treatable.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Pain is chronic if it persists or recurs for greater than three months. Discomfort is usually a symptom, so your doctor needs to discover what’s causing the pain, if possible. Of course, pain is subjective — only you can accurately identify and describe it — meaning it can be challenging for healthcare providers to figure out the cause. The cause may only be determined through different tests or diagnostic procedures (blood tests, imaging tests, spinal fluid, and urine tests).
Final Thoughts
Don’t let chronic pain rule your life. With proper diagnosis and care, millions of people who suffer from pain symptoms lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. If you have chronic pain and know the triggers, you’re one step closer to managing pain symptoms. Contact us today at Northwest Ohio Ketamine Clinic to learn about pain treatment options that provide real relief.
