It is important to formulate a individualised management plan for pain management. This may include looking at stress, sleep hygiene, exercise, relaxation, meditation and pacing strategies.
It is National Pain week. I thought this would be a good opportunity to give a brief description of how pain is created and to provide an understanding of why pain doesn’t necessarily correlate well with tissue damage.
Think about it, have you ever stubbed your toe and experienced excruciating pain? Why when there is no real tissue injury? Or have you ever had a serious injury such as a broken bone and experienced little to no pain?
Pain is a complex phenomenon which can be thought of as an alarm system, it attempts to ensure that we stay out of danger and avoid injury. The production of pain involves an interaction between your nervous system and other factors including; genetics, culture, thoughts, emotions, stress and previous pain experiences. These interactions occur in both acute and chronic pain presentations. Due to the complexity of pain each presentation requires an individualised management approach.
Did you know that one in five Australians will suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain is pain that persists for three months or longer. Below is an explanation of the difference between Acute and Chronic pain and an outline as to why both types of presentations require different management approaches.
An ankle sprain is a good example of acute pain. You’ve rolled your ankle. Ouch! You experience a sharp pain in that moment, your ankle swells and continues to hurt for the next few days. The pain and swelling stop you from putting weight on your ankle, however over the next few days the pain slowly subsides and it becomes easier to walk on and soon enough you’re back to all your regular activities. This is an example of acute pain and in this instance your brain produces pain in order to protect you from further tissue damage and promotes healing. It ensures you won’t injure yourself further.
If pain is a protective alarm system then why can some people suffer pain that persists past the normal tissue healing time? In these instances we are dealing with Chronic or Persistent pain and your pain continues due to changes that occur within the nervous system. Your nervous system has become more sensitive. If we think back to the alarm analogy, your brain may produce pain in the absence of real danger or threat, just like a smoke alarm can go off in the absence of fire.
Chronic pain management looks at desensitising the nervous system and should address lifestyle factors, such as stress and sleep hygiene, as well as exercise. Other tools that are useful in chronic pain management include; relaxation, meditation, distraction and pacing techniques.
Chronic pain can have big implications on your life and many feel hopeless in regards to managing it. Self-empowerment is really important for taking control of your pain and in turn your life. An Osteopath can perform a thorough assessment and determine what factors may be implicated in your pain persisting. We can work with you to devise an appropriate management strategy.
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out how Osteopathy can assist you, please don’t hesitate to get in contact via phone 0466 910 564 or email us at hello@katejohnsonosteo.com.au .