Pain is rarely "all in
your head."
People in pain are often treated as if their pain is actually made up or
greatly exaggerated. While it is true that pain is subjective (people simply
perceive pain differently) and some people may report pain because they have
other agendas, for the vast majority the pain is real and present. It is not
made up. The problem is that chronic pain is often caused by anatomical
problems that are difficult or impossible to diagnose using standard medical
tests, and pain cannot be diagnosed like other medical problems (such as a
broken bone that can be seen on an X-ray).
Fortunately, most in the
medical community are now trying to understand and appreciate that chronic pain
is real and needs to be treated and managed differently.
1. Pain is not the only
problem-it breeds other health problems
Thoughts and emotions related to chronic pain also can both aggravate and
alleviate the pain. For example, depression, which is a serious disease, can
worsen the pain. Sleep problems, again caused by the pain, can also make the
pain worse. And increased pain usually leads to increased sleep problems.
Often all conditions related
to the pain need to be treated concurrently in order for the patient to get any
relief.
2. Pain is deeply personal.
Everyone experiences and expresses pain differently. Any two people with the
exact same health condition are likely to feel and express their pain in unique
ways depending on a number of factors. Newer chronic pain theories now have
physiological explanations for how and why people experience pain differently.
When it comes to back pain,
this is especially true. Two people can have the same type of herniated disc,
but one feels only slight discomfort and the other feels intense burning pain
that is unresponsive to conventional treatment. It is also not uncommon that no
anatomical cause of the pain can be detected.
Why is this point important?
It means that chronic pain often needs to be treated as the primary problem,
which is different than the conventional medical approach of identifying and
treating the underlying problem causing the pain.
3. Chronic pain is its own
beast.
Unlike acute pain, which functions as a warning signal (e.g. I just stepped on
a nail-better move my foot!), chronic pain does not have any useful function.
It just is.
Often, chronic pain is caused
by nerves that continue to send pain signals to the brain. When dealing with
chronic pain, one of the most frustrating things is that there is nothing to
"fix." It just exists in your body.
4. Chronic pain is LONELY.
After awhile, many people with chronic pain-especially pain that is caused by a
condition that cannot be seen-begin to feel isolated. Here the Internet has
done a world of good helping people in pain connect with others in similar
situations and find a supportive peer group through online communities of
people in similar situations.
Having a clearer
understanding of how chronic pain works, as well as the central role that the
mind plays in the experience of chronic pain, is becoming more mainstream in
the medical community. Patients who start to gain more understanding of their
own chronic pain may also benefit in terms of gaining increased emotional
support, more effective and sustainable pain management, and even possibly
harnessing the power of their minds to assist in coping with the pain.
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