Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is an often invisible illness that can have a detrimental impact on a person's quality of life. Pain is usually considered chronic or persistent when it lasts for more than three months despite prescribed treatment or medication. Chronic pain is relatively common, affecting approximately 43% of people in the U.K (BMJ, 2018). In addition to physical pain lasting longer than three months, symptoms of chronic pain also include the following:
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbance
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Isolation or loneliness
- A loss of identity
Chronic pain sometimes occurs after an injury or operation, often through a condition called central sensitisation, where the nervous system becomes stuck in a persistent state of high reactivity. This persistent state of reactivity maintains pain even after the initial injury has healed. Nerve damage can also be a trigger for chronic pain. Certain health conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Athritis and Endometriosis are associated with chronic pain. Sometimes chronic pain begins without an obvious trigger or cause.
Treatment of Chronic Pain
There are numerous treatments for managing chronic pain, including prescription medications and physical therapies. Pacing physical activity is an important aspect of pain management, which can help to prevent the "boom and bust" cycle that often happens in chronic pain, where a person pushes themselves to get a lot done on their "good days", which then results in a flare-up of pain and decreased activity. Physical conditioning is another important aspect of chronic pain management. People with chronic pain often (understandably) begin to avoid exercise. Over time this can lead to physical de-conditioning, which increases pain in the long term and limits activity further. Often a gradual and graded return to some physical activity can be helpful.
Psychological therapy for chronic pain can help you to understand yourself and your chronic pain condition better and learn to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Psychological therapy for chronic pain initially focuses on exploring the thoughts, emotions and behaviours that may be triggering, increasing or maintaining your experience of chronic pain. I can also guide you though safe and effective techniques to calm your body and mind. If you are interested in working with me to overcome chronic pain, please do get in touch.
