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Acknowledging and managing chronic pain are essential for good health, as they enable you to live life more comfortably and securely.
Treatment plans aim to alleviate pain, boost your mood and develop coping skills. They may include medications, lifestyle adjustments or therapies; the most successful treatments incorporate multiple strategies.
Symptoms
When you suffer a physical injury, infection, or disease, your body should experience pain. However, this discomfort should subside as your body heals and returns to normal.
Unfortunately, some people experience chronic pain that never goes away. This can have a devastating effect on all aspects of their life – from mood swings and work demands – making it impossible to live life fully.
The good news is that chronic pain can be managed. Common treatments include medications, exercise, and psychological therapy.
Medicines that relieve pain include anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, muscle relaxers and antidepressants with pain-relieving qualities. If the severity of your discomfort is great, your doctor may suggest opioids such as morphine or oxycodone for short-term relief.
Chronic pain can be caused by a variety of health conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, stomach ulcers and other serious illnesses. It may also run in families. Certain lifestyle choices like smoking and an inactive lifestyle have been known to increase the likelihood of developing chronic pain.
Causes
When an injury occurs, pain signals travel along nerve pathways in the body until they reach your spinal cord and then your brain. In most cases, however, the intensity of this sensation should decrease as the original condition heals.
People suffering from chronic pain often require medical intervention to help them manage their symptoms. This may involve taking medicine, getting physical therapy and receiving mental health support.
Many medical conditions can cause persistent discomfort, such as arthritis, cancer and fibromyalgia. These disorders cause damage to joints, muscles and tissues or press on nerves.
Additionally, some individuals can experience chronic pain that isn’t caused by an injury or illness and which may become even worse; healthcare providers refer to this type of discomfort as “psychogenic” pain.
Due to this, it can be challenging for healthcare providers to identify the source of persistent pain. Furthermore, chronic discomfort often contributes to other problems like depression or anxiety, making it even more challenging to determine its exact origin.
Treatments
Chronic pain treatments often consist of a combination of medications, lifestyle modifications and therapies. They may help you manage your discomfort so that you can lead a more normal life.
The ideal treatment plans address the cause of your pain, its systems and quality of life. Your doctor collaborates with you to develop a customized plan that meets all these needs.
Medical treatments for chronic pain often include medications, nerve blocks and injections. These can provide temporary relief from the discomfort while helping to prevent it from returning.
Chronic pain often responds to medications like anti-seizure drugs like gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin, Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica), as well as cyclooxygenase inhibitors like naltrexone (Relafen).
Non-pharmacologic therapies for pain may include acupuncture, guided meditation, massage therapy or aqua therapy. Patients who find relief through these methods often return for additional sessions of therapy and learn relaxation techniques and biofeedback which helps control involuntary bodily functions. The purpose is to reduce stress levels and alleviate discomfort.
Prevention
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by many different things, such as illness, injury, musculoskeletal issues and cancer.
Emotional or social stress can also exacerbate the pain. This makes it harder to cope with the discomfort.
Fortunately, there are treatments available to manage your pain and lessen its impact. These may include medications, therapies and lifestyle modifications.
Your treatment plan will be determined by your age, overall health and the type of pain you experience. Medications are usually the first thing your doctor will try, but there are also other strategies such as physiotherapy or psychological therapy that could also be utilized.
Lifestyle changes such as getting enough rest and not taking daytime naps can also help, such as getting enough shut-eye. Quitting smoking may also be beneficial since nicotine interferes with how well some medications work and may aggravate your pain. Furthermore, smoking cigarettes increases the risk of other health complications like heart disease or breathing difficulties.
