What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that persists for 3 months or longer, affecting about 20% of the world’s population. While this number is high, not everyone with chronic pain is disabled by it. Unlike acute pain, which starts at the time of injury and lasts as long as the tissue is healing, chronic pain continues even after the initial damage has healed, making it a different experience altogether. The cost of chronic pain outweighs the costs of cancer, asthma, depression, stroke, and diabetes.

What Causes Chronic Pain? 

Chronic pain can be caused for a few reasons, sometimes it can be obvious, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or cancer. However, there are also many times where it isn’t due to an obvious cause. In these cases pain starts to linger following acute pain. Let’s discuss that below.

In acute pain, the nervous system sends signals between the brain and body to alert us of actual or potential tissue damage. However, in chronic pain, these signals become overly sensitive, causing pain even when there’s no real or potential damage. Essentially, the nervous system overreacts, creating a pain response without a clear physical cause.

Current research suggests that chronic pain signals may be influenced by low-grade chronic inflammation in the body. This type of inflammation can be triggered by various lifestyle factors, including poor sleep, smoking, lack of exercise, too much exercise, stress, and eating a lot of starchy carbs. These habits can cause the body to stay in a low-level inflammatory state, which may alter how the nervous system responds to pain.

Poor sleep is one of the biggest factors linked to chronic pain. A recent study found that people with sleep problems are more likely to develop chronic pain, and those with chronic pain are more likely to have sleep issues. The study also showed that improving sleep quality—like falling asleep faster, sleeping longer, and getting consistent, restful sleep—can help reduce pain. So, getting better sleep might be a key part of managing or even resolving your pain.

How Will Chronic Pain Affect You?

Chronic pain affects everyone differently, depending on the cause and location of the pain. It can impact your ability to work, sleep, handle daily tasks, care for your family, and enjoy hobbies. When pain stops you from doing what you love, it can lead to mental health challenges. Studies show that chronic pain is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression in Australian adults. Taking steps to manage your pain can help improve both physical and mental well-being.

How Can Chronic Pain be Managed and Treated by Physio? 

Chronic pain often can’t be completely cured, but it can be managed to help you get back to your daily activities. Physiotherapy is an important part of managing your pain, and it works best when combined with care from other healthcare professionals. By working together, these professionals can help you find effective strategies to manage your pain and improve your quality of life.

Every physiotherapy journey is unique because each person’s experience with chronic pain is different. The physio will usually start by talking with you about your pain, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects your daily activities. This helps them understand your situation better and create a plan that’s tailored to your needs.

Your physiotherapist will provide you with exercises, guidance, and advice tailored to your needs. These steps can help reduce chronic inflammation in your body, which may lower your pain. Combining your physiotherapy program with activities like yoga, walking, tai chi, cycling, or swimming can enhance these benefits, helping you manage pain more effectively.

Research shows that people get better results managing their pain through active treatments like exercise, rather than relying on passive treatments like medication or surgery. Physiotherapy focuses on helping you manage and reduce your pain on your own, promoting long-term relief and independence.

Get to Managing your Chronic Pain

Don’t let your pain control your life. Book an appointment with us today and start taking steps to manage your pain effectively. We’re here to help you get back to doing the things you love and enjoy. Reach out—we’re excited to support your journey to feeling better!

Our 3 Session Guarantee

Here at EmbdyHealth we know that you’re going to love your physiotherapy. If you don’t see any improvement after 3 sessions you get your money back. That is our guarantee to you that you will have a great time at EmbdyHealth Physiotherapy.