At first glance, pain doesn’t appear to be a complex idea. Something hurts, that’s all. However, pain conditions can be extraordinarily difficult to understand and diagnose.
By learning about pain, it’s easier for you to communicate with your physician and get the best possible care for arthritis or any other pain condition.
One of the most important things to know about pain is that it comes in two different forms – acute and chronic.
Quick facts about acute pain
1. When pain is acute, a direct cause can be identified, such as swelling, infection, or tissue damage.
2. Acute pain recedes after a relatively short timeframe, lessening as the cause is remedied.
3. It is a meaningful signal. It tells you to respond appropriately so that the pain can subside. “For example,” suggests arthritis writer Carrie DeVries, “a burn stops you from continuing to touch a hot stove or shin splints can slow you down if you’re overtraining.”
Quick facts about chronic pain
1. The chronic version may continue when the original cause of the pain is resolved. This pain type can last indefinitely.
2. It may arise in response to a disease, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
3. You may not be able to find a source of chronic pain.
4. Even if an illness causes pain, increase in pain rating is not necessarily a sign of disease progression. Sometimes it is though, in which case treatment adjustments such as rest or prescription management can help.
Treatment of chronic pain
According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain is the #1 cause of long-term disability among Americans. In fact, pain is the most common reason that people access the US healthcare system. Luckily, although chronic pain can be confusing, there are numerous strategies for recovery.
“If the cause of chronic pain is known, then the cause can be treated,” says DeVries. “But even if the cause of chronic pain is unknown or untreatable, the pain symptoms can be treated.”
Methods to treat chronic pain include:
· Joint injections
· Nerve blocks
· Trigger point treatments
· Spinal decompression
· Chiropractic care
· Cold laser therapy
· H-Wave therapy.
We offer all those treatments and more at Atlantic Medical Clinic. Yes, chronic pain can be difficult to assess and diagnose – but accurate diagnosis is worth the effort. The foundation of our clinic is accurate diagnosis coupled with advanced interventions and therapies designed to improve a patient’s daily living. >>> Testimonials