Pain is a reaction to any injury to the body. It can also be a warning sign for some illnesses. But when the injury or illness heals, the body stops aching. But sometimes, people feel pain even when the body heals completely. If the pain is lasting more than 3 to 6 months then it is considered chronic pain. Dealing with chronic pain is not easy. Whenever you do something, your body starts aching. Facing chronic pain not only affects the physical but also your mental health. More than 20% of people with chronic pain face chronic pain syndrome. This syndrome has symptoms like anxiety and depression.
What are the causes of Chronic Pain Syndrome?
There is no confirmed reason behind chronic pain syndrome. CPS mostly occurs with any injury or painful illness like:
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Arthritis
- Muscle strains
- Nerve Damage
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Broken bones
- Cancer
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Surgery
- Endometriosis
A person can get CPS due to any mental and physical causes. Some research shows that the condition appears due to some problem in the nervous system and glands. Several glands help the body handle stress and make the pain feel differently. Chronic pain can occur in any gender at any age. But women face more chronic pain syndrome than men. People with weaker mental health like depression can also get CPS.
Common symptoms of Chronic Pain Syndrome
CPS affects the person’s body and mind. You will see changes in your emotions and social life. A person faces lots of other symptoms due to chronic pain such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Feeling tired
- Poor sleep
- Guilt
- Loss of interest in sex
- Relationship problems
- Drug or alcohol abuse
People with chronic pain may also have suicidal thoughts. They use pain relief medicines to reduce the pain. But taking the medicines for a long period makes them dependent.
How to treat chronic pain?
The main motive of treatment is to ease the pain and improve mobility. When a person has chronic pain, he faces problems in performing daily activities. The pain intensity and severity of chronic pain can be different from person to person. The treatment for chronic pain depends on underlying causes and symptoms. You can treat chronic pain using medicines. therapies, and remedies.
Medications
Lots of medications are available to reduce chronic pain. Many people use OTC like acetaminophen, NSAIDs, etc to ease the pain. People also use opioid pain relievers like morphine. Adjuvant analgesics like antidepressants and anticonvulsants are also available to reduce CPS symptoms. Taking these medicines for a long time can harm other body parts. A person may become fully dependent on these medications.
Natural medications
Today people are choosing natural medicines rather than other medications. These medicines are made of natural elements and plants. Taking natural medication will not only reduce the pain but also improve your overall living standard. These medicines also help in managing your mental condition. With a good chronic pain treatment Connecticut, you can reduce chronic pain without any harmful side effects.
Medical procedures
Some medical procedures can help in reducing the pain. Nerve block injection prevents the nerves from sending pain signals to the brain. Electrical stimulation sends mild electric shocks to the muscles to reduce pain. People also use acupuncture to alleviate pain. If the injuries are not properly healed, surgery can help to fix the injury correctly and reduce the pain.
Ways to improve living with chronic pain
Learn meditation and deep breathing exercises
You should start meditation daily in the morning to relax your mind. Deep breathing exercises help in relaxing the body and rescue the muscle tension. When a person is dealing with chronic pain, he starts having lots of negative thoughts and worries. Meditation helps in removing the negative thoughts from your mind. It provides you with the mental energy to perform all your daily jobs. Regular meditation also helps in reducing depression and anxieties.
Reduce stress elements from your life
Chronic pain intensity increases when a person is facing stress. Mental illness like depression, stress, and anxiety increases the body’s sensitivity to pain. You have to learn about the causes of your stress and then eliminate them. Lots of methods can help in reducing pain like listening to calming music, burning aroma candles, eating a favorite food, reading books, etc. Some tapes are specially made for releasing stress. When your mind is stress-free, you will feel less pain intensity.
Exercise daily
Exercise helps to maintain physical strength. If your body is strong, you will feel less pain. It strengthens the muscle and prevents re-injuries. Daily exercises are essential to maintain body weight. People often face chronic pain due to joint pains. If you are obese then your joints’ stress will increase. Exercise will help to reduce weight and improve bone strength. It also maintains the blood pressure and sugar level. You should ask the therapist for a correct exercise routine. Tell him your condition and the therapist will tell you the best exercises for your condition.
Sleep well and avoid alcohol
When the body is in pain, sleeping becomes difficult. You can’t get a sound sleep in chronic pain. But you need good sleep to relax your body and muscles. For this, you should try eliminating things that affect your sleeping. Don’t use your phone after going to bed. Also, a bit of evening exercise will help to get a sound sleep. People often start drinking alcohol to ease physical and mental pain. But alcohol abuse can worsen your chronic pain. You may get fully dependent on alcohol. Avoid alcohol especially at night as it can affect sleep.
Join support groups
You should check for the support groups in your city. In the support group, you will find people facing the same condition. Talking to them will help in finding new ways to manage the pain. The group may help you to eliminate the negative thoughts. Talking to people helps to heal your mental health which is necessary to manage chronic pain.