Chronic pain
- Joao Candeias
- Sep 23, 2022
- 2 min read
What is chronic pain?
> Chronic pain vs acute pain
Acute pain occurs immediately after an injury (eg, burn or fracture) or invasive surgery. It usually doesn't last more than 2 months if treated.
Chronic pain is any type of persistent pain that lasts for more than 6 months and is usually more complex to treat.
The difficulty of treatment is often related to the reaction of each individual, as reactions can vary from person to person (whether due to physical, emotional or social characteristics). In this way, similar symptoms may need different and personalized treatments.
Chronic pain affects people of all ages and can be mild, moderate or severe.
> Causes and classification of chronic pain
Chronic pain can manifest in any part of the body.
It can occur after illnesses or injuries that seem to have healed, but it can also appear for no apparent reason.
Common chronic pain conditions include low back pain, headache, arthritis, cancer pain or neuropathic pain (at the level of the central nervous system).It can be further divided into 2 classes: nociceptive and neuropathic.
Almost everyone has had experience with nociceptive pain, for example from a burn, cut or other specific injury.
Neuropathic pain is caused by an injury or disturbance to the nervous system, affecting the way the brain interprets the message being sent by the body. It usually manifests as numbness, tingling, shock or twinges.
> Fact
(European sources)
- Statistics indicate that it affects up to 1 in 4 people in Europe, with more being female.
- Chronic pain can disrupt day-to-day routines. Simple tasks like cooking, walking or sleeping can become difficult to perform.
- On average 38% of the European population with chronic pain indicate that their pain cannot be treated with medication alone.
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