Chronic Pain Definition Symptoms Diagnosis and Treatment.Unlike acute pain, which typically goes away once the problem is resolved, chronic pain stays on and can affect your life. It may interfere with your daily activities, work and social life.
Having chronic pain can also lead to problems such as depression and anxiety. These problems can worsen your symptoms and make your pain even more intense.
Symptoms
Everyone experiences pain from time to time, usually as a warning that something is wrong. Typically, pain is only present for a short period of time after an injury or illness and it goes away as the body heals.
Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than 3 months and comes back, even when you have been treated for the cause. It may be caused by a problem with your nerves, your bones or muscles, or cancer.
People who have chronic pain often also have symptoms like depression and stress. These are normal reactions to pain, but they can make it worse and affect how you live your life.
The term “chronic pain” was initially used to denote a condition viewed as a symptom, but it has been increasingly used to define a disease in its own right. This can create ambiguity in understanding the multifaceted complexity of long-standing pain states, which onset, maintenance and exacerbation are influenced by a complex set of bio-psycho-social factors.
Diagnosis
Pain can last for long periods of time – even if it isn’t caused by something specific. It can be constant or come and go (recurrence). Chronic pain is often the result of an illness or injury that hasn’t gone away despite medical treatment.
Many people experience chronic pain because of a health condition, such as arthritis or cancer. It can also occur if your body changes how it reacts to pain after an injury or disease.
You can get a diagnosis for your chronic pain by telling your healthcare provider about the symptoms you are experiencing. They will also ask you questions about your daily life and how it is affected by the pain.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend tests, such as X-rays or an MRI. You will also need to keep a record of how you are feeling and what makes the pain worse or better.
Treatment
Chronic pain definition is a very serious health condition that can lead to other problems beyond physical symptoms. It can interfere with your daily activities and relationships and cause you to be depressed, anxious or have trouble sleeping.
There are several treatment options for chronic pain. Your doctor can help you find the right combination of therapies, medication and lifestyle changes to treat your chronic pain.
Medications: Some over-the-counter medications and more powerful pain medications, like opioids, may help ease your pain. Other treatments include physical therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral therapy.
Lifestyle changes: Changes in your diet, exercise and sleep can also relieve your chronic pain. For example, avoid smoking and keep a healthy weight.
Your doctor will ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, such as how intense the pain is and how it affects your life and work. They may also run tests and review other health conditions you have.
Prevention
Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. It happens when the nerves that send signals from injured tissues to your brain are more sensitive or the brain is misreading other signals as pain.
Chronic pain can be caused by a number of illnesses and injuries, including cancer, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. It can also occur as a side effect of some drugs.
When you have a medical condition that causes chronic pain, your doctor will try to find out what’s causing it. This may include a physical exam and tests to see if you have problems with your nerves.
You can help your doctor by talking to them about the symptoms you have. Be sure to tell them where the pain is, how bad it is, and how often you feel it. You may also be asked to keep a pain diary. Your doctor may also want to take blood or perform other tests.