Recognizing and Treating Chronic Pain
Pain is your body alarming you to injury, ignoring or pressing snooze for this alarm can lead to conditions far worse than a stiff back in the morning. Pain is more than just a symptom; it is a debilitating issue that requires attention. Chronic or untreated pain can lead to sleepless nights, weight gain, or long term disability. Investigate your Chronic Pain and educate yourself on potential causes and treatment options.
What is Chronic Pain? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “chronic pain is any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Chronic pain may limit a person’s movements, which can reduce flexibility, strength, and stamina.” Too often, chronic pain is ignored while it slowly changes how a person lives their life. If left untreated daily activities can become tiresome and more difficult to perform. In most cases, chronic pain is caused by an injury that is left untreated. For example, removing a cast too early or “walking it off” and not seeking treatment after an awkward fall can lead to chronic pain. Some areas of the body are more susceptible to chronic pain: - Lower Back - Joints (Knees, Elbows, Shoulders) - Fingers and Hands (Arthritis) - Jaw/Jaw Hinge
Is Chronic Pain Dangerous? Chronic pain lives on an entirely different scale from your typical 1-10 pain chart. Pain is normally meant to be felt for only a brief moment or short period of time. Chronic pain seeps slowly into every part of your life. It can keep you from getting a full night of sleep, prevent you from running with your children or grandchildren, keep you from work, and disrupt your love life. Chronic pain will make you tired, and can halt your exercise routine. This could obviously lead to weight gain, but some chronic pains can be signs of more serious issues.
What can I do? Chronic pain should be addressed, diagnosed, and treated properly. Try these points to deal with chronic pain: - Overshare – Discuss all of your symptoms and pain to your doctor when you visit. If your doctor seems stumped, request a referral to an expert. - Treat Pain – You do not have to live with pain. Some over-the-counter medicines such as Advil and Motrin focus locating root causes and reducing pain. Focus – Core Products focuses on pain areas to reduce chronic pain. Similar to how you would describe pain to a doctor, select the portion of our product line where your pain is located.