Staff Writer
According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, at least 1.5 billion people worldwide have chronic pain. Your doctor of chiropractic, a specialist in neuromuscular conditions and diseases, knows chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability in the United States, affecting about 100 million Americans.
Approximately 20% of U.S. adults had chronic pain, and 8% had high-impact chronic pain. Chronic pain can result in restricted mobility, opioid dependency, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life. It contributes to an estimated $560 billion annually in direct medical costs, lost productivity, and disability programs in the United States.
Talk to your doctor of chiropractic, and he or she will tell you that everyone experiences occasional aches and pains.
In fact, sudden pain is an important reaction of the nervous system. When an injury occurs, pain signals travel from the injured area up your spinal cord and to your brain.
Pain will usually become less severe as the injury heals. However, chronic pain is different from typical pain. With chronic pain, your body continues to send pain signals to your brain after an injury heals. This can last several weeks to years. Chronic pain can limit mobility and reduce flexibility, strength, and endurance, making it difficult to perform daily tasks and activities.
Chronic pain is typically pain that lasts at least 12 weeks. The pain may feel sharp or dull, causing a burning or aching sensation in the affected areas. It may be steady or intermittent, coming and going without apparent reason. Chronic pain is known to occur in nearly any part of your body.
Common types of chronic pain include:
Chronic pain is usually caused by an initial injury – back sprain, pulled muscle, etc. It’s believed that chronic pain develops after nerves become damaged. The nerve damage makes the pain more intense and long-lasting. In these cases, treating the underlying injury may not resolve the chronic pain.
Chronic pain is usually caused by an initial injury – back sprain, pulled muscle, etc. It’s believed that chronic pain develops after nerves become damaged. The nerve damage makes the pain more intense and long-lasting. In these cases, treating the underlying injury may not resolve the chronic pain.
In some cases, people experience chronic pain without prior injury. The pain may sometimes result from an underlying health condition.
Examples:
Although chronic pain can affect people of all ages, it’s most common in older adults. Besides age, other factors that can increase your risk of developing chronic pain include:
The goal of any recommended treatment is to reduce pain and restore or increase mobility so you can resume daily activities without discomfort.
The severity and frequency of chronic pain can differ among individuals, which is why doctors of chiropractic and medical doctors will create pain management plans specific to each person.
Your pain management plan will depend on your symptoms and any underlying health conditions. Chiropractors may use therapeutic exercise, lifestyle remedies, posture changes, and manual treatments to provide the desired pain relief.
Reduce stress
Negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress, you may find some relief from chronic pain.
Exercise
Your doctor of chiropractic knows that you can boost chronic pain relief with the natural endorphins from exercise. Endorphins are brain chemicals that help improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain. Exercise can also help keep your weight down, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar.
Avoid alcohol
Pain makes sleep difficult, and alcohol can make sleep problems worse. If you’re living with chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol can improve your quality of life.
Quit smoking
Smoking can worsen painful circulation problems and increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Chiropractic care can be an effective way to manage chronic pain. According to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, chiropractic patients with acute and chronic pain experienced better outcomes in pain, functional disability, and patient satisfaction.
The practice of first choosing conservative, non-drug therapies for low back pain is included in guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), founded in 1922, is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas. The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. Our goal is to provide care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.
