Chronic Pain Articles

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Chronic pain syndrome (CPS) is a common problem that presents a major challenge to healthcare providers because of its complex natural history, unclear etiology, and poor response to therapy. CPS is a poorly defined condition. Most authors consider ongoing pain lasting longer than 6 months as diagnostic, and others have used 3 months as the minimum criterion. In chronic pain, the duration parameter is used arbitrarily. Some authors suggest that any pain that persists longer than the reasonable expected healing time for the involved tissues should be considered chronic pain. CPS is a constellation of syndromes that usually do not respond to the medical model of care. This condition is managed best with a multidisciplinary approach, requiring good integration and knowledge of multiple organ systems. read more...

What is Chronic Pain? While acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself, chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. There may have been an initial mishap -- sprained back, serious infection, or there may be an ongoing cause of pain -- arthritis, cancer, ear infection, but some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. Many chronic pain conditions affect older adults. Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself), psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system). read more...

What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome? Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition. The key symptom of CRPS is continuous, intense pain out of proportion to the severity of the injury, which gets worse rather than better over time. CRPS most often affects one of the arms, legs, hands, or feet. Often the pain spreads to include the entire arm or leg. Typical features include dramatic changes in the color and temperature of the skin over the affected limb or body part, accompanied by intense burning pain, skin sensitivity, sweating, and swelling. Doctors aren’t sure what causes CRPS. In some cases the sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in sustaining the pain. Another theory is that CRPS is caused by a triggering of the immune response, which leads to the characteristic inflammatory symptoms of redness, warmth, and swelling in the affected area. read more...

Rare is the person who has not experienced pain and misery from a kidney stone, eye scratch, childbirth, or other problem. But the eye healed, the stone was passed, and the baby born. In each case, pain flared up in response to a known cause. With treatment, or with the body's healing powers alone, the pain went away. Chronic pain is different in that it persists. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. read more...

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than the temporal course of natural healing, associated with a particular type of injury or disease process. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage." It is important to note that pain is subjective in nature and is defined by the person experiencing it, and the medical community's understanding of chronic pain now includes the impact that the mind has in processing and interpreting pain signals. read more...

Chronic pain is different than acute pain or short-acting pain. Acute pain is a symptom of a medical problem, illness or injury, and is only temporary. Chronic pain is more than a symptom - it is an actual illness or medical problem that persists beyond the healing phase, usually three to six months, and has not responded to traditional medical treatment, such as rest, medicine, injections, physical therapy or surgery. With time the pain spreads and increases in intensity. Decreasing Function-Function includes the ability to sit, stand, walk, climb, carry, bend, crawl, etc. CPS makes it much harder to physically perform these functions. Because of this, patients with CPS may have limitations at work or cannot work at all. They may be unable to participate in their hobbies or sports and often can no longer drive. Sometimes CPS becomes so severe that patients require canes or walkers and are unable to perform basic self-care activities. read more...

To facilitate peer support and education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals may live more fully in spite of their pain. To raise awareness among the health care community, policy makers, and the public at large about issues of living with chronic pain. read more...

Treatment of chronic pain usually involves medicines and therapy. Medicines used for chronic pain include pain relievers, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Different types of medicines help people with different types of pain. You usually use long-acting medicines for constant pain. Short-acting medicines treat pain that comes and goes. Several types of therapy can help ease your pain. Physical therapy (such as stretching and strengthening activities) and low-impact exercise (such as walking, swimming or biking) can help reduce the pain. However, exercising too much or not at all can hurt chronic pain patients. Occupational therapy teaches you how to pace yourself and how to do ordinary tasks differently so you won't hurt yourself. Behavioral therapy can reduce your pain through methods (such as meditation and yoga) that help you relax. It can also help decrease stress. read more...

Tame the Pain is an advocacy and awareness campaign designed to improve chronic pain management by connecting people who have chronic pain with pain specialists. Chronic pain is pain that recurs or persists for more than six months. Chronic pain can lead to difficulty holding a job, low self-esteem, strained relationships and depression. Tame the Pain aims to change attitudes and behaviors around chronic pain by encouraging a dialogue between patient and doctor, and sharing information on the many treatment options open to people with chronic pain. read more...

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