What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain is pain that continues long after apparent direct causes such as illness or injury have recovered or alternatively can be defined as ongoing acute pain from conditions of a deteriorating nature. There are numerous potential causes of both types of chronic pain and many different treatment strategies for it. These treatments try to reduce pain, but they are imperfect, and many people with chronic pain spend years suffering before finding viable approaches or methods. For conditions that cause nerve damage, even with assistance, the pain may worsen over time, although interventions may reduce discomfort.

Doctors don't define chronic pain by location, but by duration. If it is an initial injury, the pain may continue at the location of the injury even when the body is healed. For undefined reasons, the nerves continue to send pain signals to the brain, even though these signals are no longer needed. This can cause debilitation or an ongoing feeling of distress, depending on how often the nerves fail.

Injuries are not necessarily the only cause of chronic pain. Inflammatory diseases like arthritis can affect one or more joints at any one time. People have migraines that, if not successfully treated, lead to severe headaches. Some people experience aches and pains throughout the body that are associated with conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder. This pain can be as intense and severe as discomfort caused by anything else.

Doctors vary in treatment strategies for chronic pain and can approach it by condition. Some medications will directly reduce the source of a certain pain. For example, there are migraine medications that can help stop some migraines quickly. People with inflammatory conditions might use daily steroids to reduce inflammation. These medications only work in a specific way and do not always fully address the pain.

A common solution is to administer opioid analgesics for acute episodes. Unfortunately, if the pain persists, they create dependency and can become less effective over time. While there is no shame in relying on a legally prescribed medication to reduce severe pain, there is a problem if the medication ultimately doesn't work because the body demands more of it.

One drug that doesn't seem to have this difficulty is medical marijuana. There are many places where this drug is not available and where it may be illegal. Advocates for people with chronic pain continue to push for its legalization, or at least for medical use.

There are also non-pharmacological approaches for long-lasting pain. Several studies confirm that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or other mental health support can help people change the way they perceive pain. Some people also turn to alternative therapies such as acupuncture, and there have been similar studies that suggest it can reduce pain. Ultimately, chronic pain is best treated through a combination of approaches that teach long-term pain coping strategies, support acute flare-ups of pain, and offer other therapies, medications or alternatives, that appear to benefit the patient's individual condition.

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