Chronic Pain

About Chronic Pain

Pain is a common human experience. Pain may occur after an injury, following a medical procedure, as a result of a disease or sometimes with no apparent cause.

The pain we experience is usually important. For example, it tells us that something may be wrong, that we may need to be careful not to hurt ourselves further and that it might be a good idea to get some medical help. But, while pain usually subsides with time, sometimes it can persist well after our body should normally have healed itself.

Any pain that has been experienced for more than 6 months is said to be chronic pain. Chronic pain is also often referred to as persistent pain and is very common, affecting about 1 in 5 adults (20%).

It is estimated that chronic pain significantly disrupts the life of about 1 in 4 (20%) people who experience it. For these people, it is important to know that there are practical skills that can reduce the effect pain has on their life and that can be used to help them enjoy life despite pain.

What are some of the conditions associated with chronic pain?

Some common chronic pain conditions include:

Rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic conditions
Complex regional pain syndrome
Endometriosis
Back pain
Osteoarthritis and other skeletal conditions
Post-surgical and post-chemotherapy pain
Peripheral neuropathies
Fibromyalgia
Spinal cord injuries
Trigeminal neuralgia
Migraine and headache
Post herpetic neuralgia
Hypermobility syndromes
And many, many more.

What are the main symptoms of chronic pain?

People with chronic pain often experience three main types of symptoms:

Physical Symptoms - The pain itself, muscle weakness/stiffness, tension, headache, changes in sleep, low energy levels, panic, reduced concentration and memory difficulties.

Behavioural Symptoms - Reduced activities, irritability, avoidance, doing fewer pleasurable activities and getting into an underdoing-overdoing activity cycle.

Thought Symptoms - Thoughts about the nature of your pain, your ability to cope and that you’d rather not be alive. Self-criticism, self-doubt and worry are also common.

We think that people can successfully manage chronic pain and limit its impact on their quality of life. When faced with very challenging and difficult conditions, like chronic pain, we try to work out what to do and how to deal with it.

We think that it is essential for people with chronic pain to have good information about chronic pain and to learn about their symptoms. We also think that it is essential for people with chronic pain to have access to practical, proven and helpful strategies for managing their pain and emotional wellbeing.

Please note that it is always important to first see your doctor for a medical assessment of your pain to rule out any malignant or treatable causes for your pain. If your pain can be treated it should be. Maintaining a good working relationship with your doctor is essential to the management of all medical conditions.

When people experience persistent pain they often also experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, including feeling helpless, hopeless and suicidal. This is especially the case on bad days when their pain is worse.

What are the impacts of chronic pain?

Chronic pain can affect peoples’ ability to take part in activities in all areas of their lives. It can affect their ability to work, to manage simple day-to-day tasks and to enjoy social activities as they did in the past. Limiting what people can do, chronic pain often has a big impact on peoples’ emotional wellbeing and overall quality of life.

For example, at least 50% of Australian adults with chronic pain experience serious levels of anxiety and depression as a consequence. This is understandable and important, because research shows that unmanaged anxiety and depression can make pain even more challenging and difficult to live with.

Fears of further injuring oneself, making the pain worse and having to live with the pain are common. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and loss are also common, and very understandable.

The good news is that there are practical strategies that can be used to manage pain, anxiety and depression, which can limit the impact that pain has on your life whether you have a chronic pain condition like fibromyalgia, experience headaches or whether your pain has occurred after an injury, a medical procedure or as a result of a disease.

What are the treatments for chronic pain?

If the cause of pain can be treated it should be. But, we still do not know exactly why some people continue to experience pain while others do not. Pain can have a variety of causes and the cause of any particular pain is not always identifiable. And, even when the cause of pain is known, it is not always possible for the pain to be permanently relieved through medical procedures or via medications. This is very regrettable.

If the cause of the pain cannot be treated and the longer the pain has lasted, the more important it becomes to learn to manage it and your emotional wellbeing despite pain. Research suggests that people with chronic pain can benefit from learning about their pain, how best to manage it and how to maintain emotional wellbeing despite pain.

For further information about treatment options and assistance you can:

Talk to your General Practitioner
See a Psychologist, Psychiatrist or another mental health professional
Or, you can find out about our eCentreClinic Courses for chronic pain, see here.