Everyone experiences pain at some point in their life, but when that pain is constant, persistent, and doesn’t subside it can be an entirely different situation. Approximately one-quarter of Americans experience pain that lasts more than 24 hours and millions of people experience acute pain. When pain becomes a problem it’s important to know when to seek out professional help. Read below to see popular causes of chronic pain and some ramifications of not seeking help from a pain management specialist.
Causes
There are a variety of causes for chronic pain. Though there are many many causes, some are more popular, therefore seen and treated by a pain management specialist more than others. Sometimes this pain is caused by an injury, but other times is can creep up with no exact cause. Some of the most popular causes include past injuries, previous surgeries, infections both bacterial and viral and back problems. Other causes include migraines, arthritis, fibrEveryone experiences pain at some point in their life, but when that pain is constant, persistent, and doesn’t subside it can be an entirely different situation. Approximately one-quarter of Americans experience pain that lasts more than 24 hours and millions of people experience acute pain. When pain becomes a problem it’s important to know when to seek out professional help. Read below to see popular causes of chronic pain and some ramifications of not seeking help from a pain management specialist.
Causes
There are a variety of causes for chronic pain. Though there are many many causes, some are more popular, therefore seen and treated by a pain management specialist more than others. Sometimes this pain is caused by an injury, but other times is can creep up with no exact cause. Some of the most popular causes include past injuries, previous surgeries, infections both bacterial and viral and back problems. Other causes include migraines, arthritis, fibrobyalgia and nerve damage for various reasons. Sometimes people with these conditions have already visited pain clinics but haven’t actually visited a pain management doctor.
Limited Daily Activities
When pain interferes with your daily activities it could be a sign that it is time to make arrangements to see a pain management specialist. Most of the time pain associated with any condition decreases over days or sometimes weeks. When you realize that your pain it not decreasing you should seek treatment. Trying to learn to live with pain is not wise, and there are options for those suffering from chronic pain. Don’t suffer in pain, if you realize your pain is not going away and starting to interfere with daily activities talk to your doctor about pain management.
Sleep
Just as pain should not limit your daily activities, it should not interfere with you getting a good nights sleep either. Levels of pain vary greatly and everyone’s tolerance to pain differs as well. When pain becomes so severe that individuals cannot get a good night’s sleep that is considered a level of concern. No matter how high your tolerance is to pain, if it keeps your from sleeping it is severe pain. Whether you are up all night with pain or having problems falling asleep and staying asleep because the pain keeps waking you up, pain that interferes with sleep should be addressed as soon as possible.
Possible Affects
Aside from limiting daily activities and not getting enough sleep there are other possible ramifications from not addressing and alleviating chronic pain. Chronic pain can take a toll on your mental health when not addressed. Self esteem can be affected by not being able to perform normal daily activities. Individuals can find themselves feeling depressed and frustrated. Lack of sleep coupled with depression can result in weight gain further complicating the depressed feeling and sometimes increasing the pain with added weight. More than 80% of those suffering from depression don’t seek help for their symptoms, meaning the pain and depression together can lead to more severe problems. Properly addressing pain and seeing a pain management specialist can help avoid these.
Nobody should have to live in pain, everyone should be able to enjoy life as pain free as possible. Seeking help from a pain management specialist is not a sign of weakness like some will assume. Never assume that pain means you’re weak. Talk with your doctor and together you can both decide the best course of treatment to alleviate some of your pain to help you live a better, healthier and happier life.