What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is continual or recurring pain that lasts for three months or longer, and it affects more than 40 million people across the United States alone. In addition to the person suffering from chronic pain, family members and friends also bear a considerable burden.
Chronic pain conditions are difficult to live with, and in many cases, it's not clear what's causing your pain. Are your chronic daily headaches stress-related, or is there something else going on? Is the pain in your knee due to an old injury or a different problem altogether?
What conditions cause chronic pain?
Some of the more widespread chronic pain conditions include:
Back and neck pain
Chronic back pain is often due to herniated discs, spinal stenosis, facet joint syndrome, and degenerative disc disease. These conditions frequently lead to radiculopathy — compression of the nerves coming off your spinal cord.
Sciatica, for example, which causes shooting pain from your lower back down one leg, is lumbar radiculopathy.
Other causes of chronic back pain include congenital disorders like scoliosis (where the spine curves abnormally) and vertebral compression fractures, which often affect people with osteoporosis.
APMI Orthopaedics, Sports Health & Regenerative Medicine can also help with conditions like failed back surgery syndrome.
Other neuromusculoskeletal pain disorders
There are numerous causes of chronic neuromusculoskeletal pain, including:
- Fibromyalgia
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Arthritis (more than 100 types)
- Ligament sprains
- Torn cartilage
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Neuralgia (nerve pain)
- Headaches and migraines
Acute injuries like sprains and strains can lead to chronic pain if the original injury doesn't heal properly.
Internal pain
Many internal diseases cause chronic pain. Cancer, celiac disease, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, Crohn's disease, postherpetic neuralgia, and ulcerative colitis are some of the most common examples.
How is chronic pain treated?
The treatment you require for your chronic pain condition varies according to the cause of your pain. Conditions like ulcerative colitis, for instance, might require anti-inflammatory medication, steroids, or in severe cases, surgery, while chiropractic manipulation might be best for back pain.
Physical therapy plays a vital role in most patients' pain management plans. Making lifestyle changes such as losing weight can also make a considerable difference if you have a condition like arthritis.
A few examples of some of the many advanced treatment options available at APMI Orthopaedics, Sports Health & Regenerative Medicine include:
- Medication management
- Cold laser therapy
- Ketamine infusions
- BioWavePENS® neurostimulation
- Epidural steroid injections
- Nerve block injections
- Regenerative medicine (stem cells and PRP therapy)
- Radiofrequency neurotomy
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Intrathecal pump implantation
- Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation
To find the right treatment for your chronic pain, call APMI Orthopaedics, Sports Health & Regenerative Medicine today, or book an appointment online.
