Chronic pain can feel overwhelming. Unlike acute pain – the kind that comes from an injury or surgery and goes away after healing – chronic pain lasts for months or even years, often without a clear cause.
It can affect your body, your mood, your sleep, and your ability to enjoy life. But you are not alone, and there is help.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is any pain that lasts longer than 3 months. It can be constant or come and go. Sometimes it begins after an illness or injury, but in other cases, there may be no obvious reason.
Common types of chronic pain include:
- Back or neck pain
- Arthritis or joint pain
- Nerve pain (neuropathy)
- Headaches or migraines
- Fibromyalgia-widespread muscle pain
- Pain after surgery or trauma
What Causes Chronic Pain?
The causes of chronic pain are complex. Sometimes pain signals in the nervous system keep firing even after the original injury has healed. Other times, conditions like arthritis or nerve damage keep the pain going. Stress, anxiety, depression, and past trauma can also make pain feel worse.
How Chronic Pain Affects You
Living with daily pain can take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being. It can lead to:
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty working or doing everyday activities
- Depression or anxiety
- Isolation from friends and family
Recognising these effects is the first step in managing them.
Managing Chronic Pain
There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for chronic pain, but there are many ways to manage it. A good pain management plan often includes a combination of strategies:
1. Medications
These might include over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription medications, or certain antidepressants or anti-seizure drugs that help with nerve pain.
2. Physiotherapy
Working with a physiotherapist can improve movement and strength, which often reduces pain.
3. Counselling and Therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and other forms of counselling can help you manage stress and learn new ways to cope with pain.
4. Lifestyle Changes
Regular exercise, a balanced diet, better sleep habits, and stress-reduction techniques (like mindfulness or meditation) can all help reduce pain levels.
5. Injections
Injections can in some people be beneficial in facilitating recovery and allowing for engagement with physiotherapy.
Dr Baloch has a self-pay clinic where he is able to assess patients and if appropriate inject them on the same day under ultrasound guidance.
Article written by:
Bsc, MBBS, MRCP, FRCA, FFPMRCA
Consultant in Pain Management
Parkside Suite Frimley and Heatherwood Hospitals
Tel: 01252 895486
Email: dace.holendera@spirehealthcare.com