Explaining Persistent Pain
In 2020, 3.37 million Australians were shown to be living with chronic pain.
What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is that which persists for 3 or more months and does not seem to respond to treatment. It can be localised to one area, multiple areas, or generalised throughout the whole body.
Pain as a warning mechanism
Pain warns us about what the body perceives at impending damage/threat. This is useful in the initial stages of injury, allowing us to protect our bodies and promote safe recovery.
In persistent pain, this warning system may become sensitised, causing us to experience pain that does not correspond to actual physical damage/threat.
Factors influencing pain
Thoughts/beliefs: negative thoughts release powerful chemicals in the brain, enhancing the pain experience.
Fear avoidance: fear of pain and movement, may mean that you do not rehabilitate the injured area.
General health: maintaining good lifestyle habits is vital in reducing pain-provoking hormone in your bloodstream, thereby reducing inflammation.
Exercise: living a sedentary lifestyle is known to be a main contributor to the cycle of chronic pain. The less you move, the more you may have a build up of inflammation in the area.
Chronic pain is less likely related to actual tissue damage, but rather to chronic inflammation, emotional changes, past trauma and nerve sensitivity.
So what can I do?
Stay Active
Remain at Work
Take control of your thoughts
Maintain a good gut health
Reduce smoking/alcohol intake
Maintain a healthy body weight
if you have been struggling with persistent pain, we can help! At Spine & Sports, we treat a number of chronic pain patients and can create an individualised treatment plant to help you get on top of yours.
Lauren Stuart-Hill
Physiotherapy Assistant
