Common Types of Chronic Pain and What You Can Do About Them

You have probably experienced pain due to a cut, surgery, sports, car injury, or even kidney stones at some point or other in your life. For such cases, the actual cause of pain is known as acute pain. The primary function of acute pain is to warn your body of an injury or problem. In some cases, you could develop chronic pain, which is often quite disabling and can prevent you from enjoying life. Such pain calls for pain management in Falls Church.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is commonly defined as any pain that persists for more than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is the normal sensation that alerts your body of an illness or injury, chronic pain serves no real purpose. It can be caused by a nervous system dysfunction, chronic disease, muscle, joint, or bones injury, and autoimmune disorders like arthritis.

Chronic Back Pain

According to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, approximately 84 percent of adults in the US experience chronic back pains at some point in their lives. The pain could be due to arthritis, osteoporosis, or normal wear and tear. Some other common back pain causes include:

• Spinal fractures.
• Spinal stenosis.
• Compression fractures.
• Soft-tissue fractures.
• Slipped or bulging discs.
• Structural deformities such as scoliosis.

Chronic Joint Pain

Joint pain is a major cause of disability among adults in the United States. A report from the US Bone and Joint Initiative shows that this condition is often a result of infection, injury, or advancing age. Besides this, it can also be caused by conditions like:

• Tendinitis.
• Bursitis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Repetitive motion injury.

Chronic Headaches

A chronic headache is one that occurs for a minimum of 15 days monthly within three consecutive months. Research shows that approximately 50 percent of the American adult population will report headaches during the course of a year. If your headache is persistent or does not go away, it could be one of the following types of chronic headaches:

• Migraine.
• Eye strain headache.
• Tension headaches are caused by stress, fatigue, or sleeping in the wrong positions.
• Cluster headaches as a result of the enlargement of blood vessels in the head.

Chronic Nerve Pain

According to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, chronic nerve pain affects ten percent of Americans. The common causes of chronic nerve pain are continuous exposure to drugs that damage the protective exterior coating of a nerve, excessive nerve compression, or damage caused by injury or trauma. Nerve pain can be extremely debilitating – enough to keep you away from work.

Common Pain Management Procedures

When the cause of chronic pain cannot be treated, your doctor will recommend a pain management procedure depending on your condition and the level of pain. Common options include:

• Diagnostic and therapeutic selective nerve root blocks.
• Diagnostic and therapeutic intra-articular SI joint and hip joint injections.
• Medial branch blocks.
• Radiofrequency ablation.
• Epidural steroid injections.

Conclusion

Chronic pain can be significantly frustrating and disabling, which is why the skilled neurologists at Integrated Neurology Services are dedicated to providing the most effective pain management procedures. They use an approach that directly addresses the root cause of your pain to bring you wholesome relief. For more information about their services, book an appointment online or contact their nearest offices today.

Presented by – Orthobiologics Associates