how to explain chronic pain
And pain levels fluctuate, in terms of timing, intensity, and quality, which make it nearly impossible to use objective testing methods such as an MRI or CT scan to get a true picture of what you experience on a day to day basis. Pain, especially chronic pain, is very personal. Chronic pain is a serious health condition. Few, if any, definitive tests exist that can accurately measure and diagnose the experience. Pain serves an important purpose by alerting you to injuries such as a sprained ankle or burned hand. Part 3 in the series Understanding and Explaining Chronic Pain discusses "The Wolf Theory," which I use to explain how living with chronic pain has changed me. Chronic and severe pain or, in other words living with persistent discomfort affects the person's life in a significant manner. When asked "How do you explain chronic pain to someone who doesn't have it? T: Timing of the pain, how long it lasts, is it constant or intermittent? Sounding the alert when someone just walks by (more analogies coming up). Chronic pain, however, is often more complex. S: Severity of the pain. It naturally leads to depression, anxiety, and fear. E: Environment where the pain occurs, for example, while working or at home. If it's easier than writing it down, you can draw a picture of where on your body it's hurting the most. If you're in the doctor's office, or hospital, just point to where the symptoms are occurring. Back pain and neck pain are subjective. Types of Chronic Pain Conditions in Children. For years (and likely still today), chronic pain sufferers were largely misunderstood by the general and even at times the health care population. Chronic pain can be thought of like an overly sensitive car alarm. Various clinical observations have proven the specificity theory to be inadequate to explain chronic pain. Example: "My pain is more toward my wrist, but further from my fingers," or "My stomach is in pain." Dr. Henry Beecher, who worked with severely wounded soldiers during World War II, was one of the first doctors to question the theory. Like any long-term health problem, the condition often leads to complications beyond your physical symptoms, such as new or worsened depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. People often think of pain as a purely physical sensation. It does a tremendous effect on the emotional quotient of a person. Chronic pain in children can occur for many reasons. Chronic pain is one of the Number 1 causes of disability in the United States, and while the term refers to a wide range of disorders, the issues couples face when one partner is affected by chronic pain are strikingly similar. The unique relational challenges chronic pain presents largely result from activity inconsistency, which fuels resentment. Once the patient understands the basics of central sensitization, it’s important to reinforce the message that chronic pain doesn’t equal damage. The American Academy of Pain Medicine reports that chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Perhaps the common reason for pediatric patients to seek medical care are headaches, which have a number of causes, such as trauma, a genetic predisposition, or an intracranial mass. 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). "By definition, the difference between chronic pain and what we call acute pain - which is non-chronic pain - is that it doesn't serve a purpose," explains Dr Alan Fayaz, a spokesperson for the British Pain Society (), and a consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at University College London Hospital (UCLH). Explaining That Chronic Pain Doesn’t Equal Damage.