Persistent pain
“Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”
Persistent or chronic pain is any pain that lasts longer that the considered normal physiological healing time. A good rule of thumb is any pain that last longer than three months.
Pain might be called:
- Complex pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Hypermobility pain disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Osteoarthritis
Or you might simply call it:
- Back pain
- Headache
- Migraine
- Neck pain
- Sciatica
- Piriformis syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
For those people suffering from ongoing pain, research has uncovered changes in many of the body systems. These changes have been found in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the limbic system (emotions), the endocrine system (hormonal regulation), and the immune system. So, pain should never be examined in isolation of the effect that it has on the rest of the body and mind.
Often a chronic or persistent pain state activates the sympathetic nervous system and the fight or flight response therefore as part of my examination I look at:
- Muscle tension
- Breathing patterns
- Joint and muscle range of movement
- Thought patterns and mental health
- Exercise and activity levels
- Diet
- Work pattern
- Stress
- Social interactions
- Sleep
- Purpose and joy
You may have other conditions that contribute or relate to living with chronic pain, for example: digestive distress (IBS, reflux, indigestion, constipation), gynaecological or bladder complaints (endometriosis or interstitial cystitis) or even have a diagnosis of auto-immune conditions.
You may have seen multiple medical and alternative practitioners and have many different diagnoses. Please let me help you to make sense of the pieces and try to construct the puzzle to give you a picture that can optimise understanding and put in place an appropriate treatment plan.
If you’d like to find out more, book a free 10 minute consultation below.