Pain is, generally speaking, rather unpleasant, which is why chronic pain is such an awful condition. As a species, we are hardwired to react to pain, to draw away and escape whatever is causing us harm. However, when that pain chases us with no hope of escape, when it hangs around constantly with no hope of reprisal, the experience can be uniquely torturous. This is the reality of living with chronic pain and although everyone’s experience is different, all would agree that it is distinctly unpleasant. This article aims to help you identify whether you have chronic pain and explain how best you can manage it if you do.
Do You Have Chronic Pain?
Do you have a pain that won’t seem to go away no matter what you do? If it has lasted you longer than 3 months then there is a good chance that you are suffering from chronic pain, and you should consider making an appointment with your doctor.
There are many kinds of chronic pain, each dependent on the person who is suffering from the condition. The kind of pain and its intensity varies from person to person. From aching to burning to piercing to throbbing, chronic pain has almost limitless forms and often the form that it takes is connected to the cause of your pain. Your pain could be the result of a physical injury, surgery or even the result of a chemical imbalance in your body that has created psychogenic pain.
Regardless of the cause of your pain, you will need to learn how to live with and manage it for the sake of both your physical and mental wellbeing.
Managing Your Pain
One of the most important things to understand when trying to learn to manage your pain is that chronic pain is more than just a physical condition. Chronic pain often has severe effects on your mental health, emotions and even your relationships.
Chronic pain has been linked to depression and anxiety, likely as a result of the incessant feeling of being completely dominated by your seemingly constant pain. However, this is something that you can learn to manage, and that starts with living healthy.
Maintaining a healthy life balance of exercise, healthy eating and proper sleep is of paramount importance for you to help control your chronic pain for one simple reason: You want to be absolutely certain that chronic pain is the only issue you have to deal with. By ensuring that, as much as possible, you are not dealing with health issues from other causes, you can learn what helps your pain and make sure to avoid anything that worsens your pain.
In addition to any self-management you do, there are CCM Management (chronic care management) businesses available to consult with your doctors to help manage your pain and ensure your continuing health in the face of your chronic condition. These services most commonly work with those suffering from extreme cases of chronic pain, but that doesn’t mean that your doctor won’t bring their services in to work with you even if your symptoms are more minor. It all depends on your doctor’s decision.
Regardless, working towards caring for your own pain and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are together often the best way to ensure your chronic pain is handled in the best way possible.
