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Understanding Chronic Pain: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

Read on to find out the complex causes of chronic pain with a bonus of effective pain management tips!
Yashika Sruthi
By
Yashika Sruthi
Understanding Chronic Pain: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

Introduction

Have you ever randomly woken up in the middle of the night because your limbs just hurt so bad? Has it been happening with increasing frequency for almost half a year? If this has never happened to you, then congratulations, you never had the displeasure of intimately knowing what chronic pain is.

For those of us who are unfortunate to have lived this, we know that chronic pain is agony distributed throughout our life, to spike at the most inopportune moments. It is a complex and often misunderstood condition that affects millions of people worldwide, including a significant number in India. Only that not many even know they're feeling chronic pain.

Unlike acute pain, which is a temporary response to injury or illness, chronic pain persists for months or even years, significantly impacting your quality of life. Kofuku is here to make you aware and explain the exact causes of chronic pain so you, too, can figure out whether that unexplained constant twinge in your neck is a lifelong companion or something temporary.

What Constitutes Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is known as pain that lasts longer than three to six months, often continuing even after the underlying cause has been treated or resolved. According to a survey conducted in India, the prevalence of chronic pain among adults is estimated to be 19.3%, with a higher prevalence in females at 25.2%. Unsurprisingly, the difference is mainly because women are more prepared to acknowledge the pain than men. Apart from the toxic masculinity, this statistic also highlights the significant health issue chronic pain represents in the Indian population.

The effects of patriarchy aside, let's get to the good stuff: how do you figure out if you have chronic pain that needs managing pronto?

Symptoms of Chronic Pain

Does any of the following seem eerily familiar to you?

- Persistent aching or stiffness in muscles and joints

- Sharp, shooting, or burning sensations

- Pain that radiates to other areas of the body

- Fatigue and sleep disturbances

- Mood changes, including anxiety and depression

Then you might have chronic pain! (Visit your doctor as soon as possible)

Causes of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can arise from various sources, including physical injuries, medical conditions, and psychological factors. Here are some of the most boring but not any less painful common ways it can manifest:

1. Mental Health Factors

Chronic pain and mental health have a very special relationship. In that, they end up being comorbid almost all of the time. Conditions like depression and anxiety can amplify one's perception of pain and contribute to its persistence.

Studies indicate that over 67% of individuals with chronic pain also experience comorbid psychiatric disorders. That's almost close to a perfect number (of people).

2. Fibromyalgia

Now, this right here is literally pain. Nobody is doing it like her. Let us introduce you to Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive difficulties. Woo! Can anyone even handle all that, you may ask?

But you'd be surprised to know it affects about 0.5-2% of the Indian population, with women being affected three to seven times more than men. The exact cause of this chronic pain remains unclear, but it is believed to involve abnormal processing of pain signals in the brain.

3. Other Causes

Chronic pain can also result from various other conditions, including:

- Arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis)

- Back injuries or conditions (e.g., herniated discs)

- Nerve damage (e.g., diabetic neuropathy)

- Cancer-related pain

- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

- Endometriosis

Of course, a damaging enough accident could end up resulting in chronic pain long after the recovery period is over.