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Chronic Pain
Pain can be classified as acute or chronic. The distinction between acute and chronic pain is not based on its duration of sensation, but rather the nature of the pain itself. In general, physicians are more comfortable treating acute pain, which has as its source soft tissue damage, infection and/or inflammation. It can be modulated and removed by treating its cause and through combined strategies using analgesics to treat the pain and antibiotics to treat the infection. In general, while it is uncomfortable to experience, it is easy to treat; is distinguished by having a specific cause and purpose, and generally produces no persistent psychological reaction. Physicians are more likely to prescribe medications to treat acute pain, particularly in those situations when they are satisfied that they understand the pain's origin and believe the pain will be short in duration. This is why a patient might leave the hospital with two weeks' worth of adequate pain medicine, but the same medications may not be readily prescribed if the patient's pain lasts beyond an expected period of time. It is not the pain itself that is short in duration: it is the diagnosis of "acute pain" and the expectation that it will be short in nature that continues to confuse both the medical establishment and those who experience pain.
The primary distinction is this: acute pain serves to protect one after an injury. Chronic pain does not serve this or any other purpose. Acute pain is the symptom of pain. Chronic pain is the disease of pain.
There are currently almost 9 million people in the UK who suffer from chronic pain. That is 9 million people whose lives are affected by the misery of long term pain. Almost half of sufferers are in such pain that it invades every aspect of their daily lives.
Chronic Pain is medically defined as pain that has lasted 3 months or longer. This constant or intermittent pain has often outlived its purpose, as it does not help the body to prevent injury. It is often more difficult to treat than acute pain.
Chronic pain was originally defined as pain that has lasted 6 months or longer. It is now defined as "the disease of pain." Its origin, duration, intensity, and specific symptoms vary. The one consistent fact of chronic pain is that, as a disease, it cannot be understood in the same terms as acute pain, and the failure to make this distinction (particularly in those who suffer chronic pain) has been and continues to be the cause of multi-dimensional suffering, depression, social isolation, and helplessness. The failure to recognize chronic pain as substantially different from acute pain cannot be blamed on the medical profession: it is a societal lapse.
Chronic pain, no matter how debilitating it is in one's life, continues to be considered by most insurance carriers as a 3-17% disability. There have been some theories that not treating acute pain properly can lead to chronic pain |
Chronic pain
There are at least two different types of chronic pain problems - chronic pain due to an identifiable pain generator (e.g. an injury), and chronic pain with no identifiable pain generator (e.g. the injury has healed).
Chronic pain due to an identifiable pain generator
This type of chronic pain is due to a clearly identifiable cause. Certain structural spine conditions (for example, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis) can cause ongoing pain until successfully treated. These conditions are due to a diagnosable anatomical problem.
If the pain caused by these types of conditions has not subsided after a few weeks or months of conservative treatments, then spine surgery may usually be considered as a treatment option.
Chronic pain with no identifiable pain generator
This type of pain continues beyond the point of tissue healing and there is no clearly identifiable pain generator that explains the pain. It is often termed “chronic benign pain”.
It appears that pain can set up a pathway in the nervous system and, in some cases, this becomes the problem in and of itself. In chronic pain the nervous system may be sending a pain signal even though there is no ongoing tissue damage. The nervous system itself misfires and creates the pain. In such cases, the pain is the disease rather than a symptom of an injury.
The term “chronic pain” is generally used to describe pain that lasts more than three to six months, or beyond the point of tissue healing. Chronic pain is usually less directly related to identifiable tissue damage and structural problems. Examples of chronic pain are: chronic back pain without a clearly determined cause, failed back surgery syndrome (continued pain after the surgery has completed healed), and fibromyalgia.
Chronic pain is influenced by many factors, such as ongoing pain signal input to the nervous system even without tissue damage, physical deconditioning due to lack of exercise, a person’s thoughts about the pain, as well as emotional states such as depression and anxiety. Chronic pain is much less well understood than acute pain.
The Pain Triangle
Most chronic pain sufferers have visited many doctors and alternative or complementary practitioners, in an attempt to seek help for their conditions. Typically, chronic pain sufferers have to deal with the Pain Triangle™ of issues.
This comprises physical pain, chemical issues surrounding that pain and lastly but most certainly not least, the psychological component related to their pain – which in many cases is totally neglected by traditional routes of chronic pain management.
Painwave® ’s Integrated Pain Management™ system works with the physical aspects of the pain, whether it derives from the nervous system, soft tissue, synovial system, inflamed joints and bones tissue – basically any part of the musculoskeletal infrastructure that supports the body.
Use of the revolutionary X4000 pain management device at the centre of this management system, as well as recognising and dealing with the nutritional needs of chronic pain sufferers is critical in achieving the most pain relief for longer term results.
To explain further the Pain Triangle™ it is important to understand what we mean by this:
Physical Issues:
Pain that is caused by any conditions involving Nerve, Muscle, Bone, Joint, and Tissue conditions are generally treated with a cocktail of drugs, all of which give the body more challenges by way of debilitating side effects and in many cases, unpleasant contraindications.
Biochemical Issues:
The body’s general chemical consistency changes when any part of the physical system is affected by inflammation and pain. This does not mean just trauma or injury – the onset of chronic pain can result through metabolic issues including being overweight (which accelerates conditions such as osteoarthritis), and even unsatisfactory diet which can rapidly lead to malnutrition. It is a general misconception that malnutrition refers to people starving but in reality a large proportion of sufferers are actually overweight! Nutrition is the basis of good care….
Psychological Issues:
Poor Chronic pain control leads to altered states of mind which affects the rational thinking vital to chronic pain management. This loss of mental acuity can result in deep-rooted depression, anxiety and stress, which alone can have very debilitating and long term affects on lifestyle and increased social isolation. |
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