Everyone has experienced pain at some time or other. A cut, a sports injury, childbirth, surgery, or kidney stones all can produce varying degrees of pain. In these cases, the pain has a known cause and resolves when the cause is no longer there. This type of pain is acute pain. Acute pain performs a function – it warns the body of a problem or injury.

Chronic pain, which is pain lasting months or years, is much different. The pain itself rarely continues to perform a useful function. Chronic pain can be quite disabling, often preventing people from working and enjoying life. It can lead to people feeling isolated, angry, frustrated, and guilty.

CAUSES OF CHRONIC PAIN:

Many medical conditions or injuries can cause chronic pain. Some people will continue to experience pain long after recovering from an initial injury, such as a back injury. Other chronic pain is caused by chronic diseases such as arthritis or cancer. Some people have pain that does not have an identifiable cause. This is not to say that the pain is not real. Whatever the cause, chronic pain is real and should be treated.

The following conditions may be associated with chronic pain:
• cancer
• fibromyalgia
• spinal injury
• headaches
• back injury – the lower back is the most common site of chronic pain reported among chronic pain sufferers
• arthritis
• stomach ulcers
• nerve inflammation or damage
• mood and/or anxiety disorders.

Sometimes pain can be felt in a part of the body that is no longer there. This is called phantom limb pain, which develops as a result of amputation. When the pain in one part of the body is felt in another part of the body, it is called referred pain.

The internal organs are not very responsive to pain; instead, pain in these areas may be felt more as a diffuse pain (i.e., the pain spread over a large area), which is not easy to localize. Acute pain results when a disease or injury sends a signal to special sensory nerve endings called nociceptors. Nociceptors are located in the skin, as well as in other structures including blood vessels and tendons. Pain signals travel from the nociceptors, through the sensory nerves, and up the spinal cord to the thalamus in the brain. The signal is then sent to the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that processes thought.

On the way to the brain, natural body chemicals can change the pain signal. Substance P makes the pain signal stronger. Endorphins make it weaker. Pain is not actually felt until the message or signals get to the brain. Chronic pain can originate at many points in the above pathway.

In some cases, chronic pain may arise from injury to the nerves in our body. This type of pain is called neuropathic pain and is often the result of direct injury or disease of the nerves. Neuropathic pain is different from acute, nociceptive pain – people often complain of sharp, burning, or radiating pain rather than dull, aching pain.

The cerebral cortex and the limbic system, which are the brain areas controlling emotion, process pain signals. How much pain is felt depends on a number of factors. Factors that increase how badly pain is felt include the following:
• previous bad experiences with pain
• insomnia
• anxiety
• depression

Anxiety can make pain much worse. Not knowing the cause of pain makes people anxious. The pain often seems less severe once they have a diagnosis of their medical condition. Worry about the seriousness of their condition can often also increase the severity of the pain.

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC PAIN:

Living with chronic pain can create a vicious cycle of anxiety, dependence on other people, and sleep deprivation. Chronic long-term pain can make it unpleasant for people to live their daily life normally and it saps their energy.

People suffering from chronic pain might stop social activities because of the pain. They might feel dependent on other people to help with daily tasks such as shopping. It can be hard to sleep with someone who is in pain, or worried about being in pain. Constant sleep deprivation can lead to depression. Feeling helpless because of chronic pain can also make people feel worthless and demoralized.

Chronic pain can be treated easily if proper treatment should be given to the clients. Sydney Homeopathic Care provides the Best homeopathic treatment and remedies for pain in sydney, Australia. Start online treatment now.