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Egyptian solar deity
Chronic Pain
With acute pain, the pain goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for it. There was some discomfort, but soon your life goes on.
Not so with chronic pain. This lingers for anywhere from three to six months or longer, although the definition and timeline of chronic pain are not precisely established. It remains an unwelcome stranger — even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or disappeared.
Chronic pain, furthermore, does not have to be constant or consistent. In some cases, it can come and go.
Typical causes of chronic pain include anything from headaches to cancer. Chronic orthopedic issues facing older patients include arthritis, osteoporosis, bursitis, lower back pain, joint pain, nerve damage, and past injuries.
Chronic pain also tends to create related issues, such as tense muscles, limited ability to move around, a lack of energy, and changes in appetite. Other demons, such as depression, anxiety, anger, and fears, are also associated with chronic pain.
Chronic pain is more trying than the more common acute version. It can have a tremendous impact on people of all ages, interfering with your sleep patterns, creating all types of emotional distress, and affecting your everyday activities.
Treatments
Both acute and chronic pain are enormous problems in the United States, costing 650 million lost workdays and $65 billion a year, according to some estimates.
When it comes to ordinary acute pain, most sufferers are handled by primary-care physicians. That’s because minor acute pain can be treated easily through over-the-counter medicines, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen; by physical therapy; or even with exercise or alternative treatments.
Chronic pain, however, often requires stronger medicines and more intensive therapies, which might include acupuncture, biofeedback, relaxation training (meditation and deep breathing), and even hypnosis.
Some treatment plans include physical therapy, focusing on muscle use. Occupational therapy may be prescribed to focus on specific tasks, such as walking up and down stairs and getting in and out of a vehicle with less pain.
Massage therapy can also help for some types of pain relief.
Even more tools for helping chronic pain sufferers are being developed by the National Health Institute.
If you or your doctor decides your pain is not acute but chronic, know there are treatment options for relief. These often include pain relievers and other medications, but you might feel better knowing there are a variety of other methods available.
David Wilkening spent most of his working life on newspapers. He sometimes calls himself a former “newspaperman,” which in today’s world is an outdated designation.
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