Chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts three or more months. Living with chronic pain can be a nightmare, making it challenging to complete even the smallest daily tasks. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are chronic pain treatments available that can help you live your everyday life again. Below we’ll discuss the most common types of chronic pain and the types of treatments currently available.
Most Common Types of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can come from a multitude of different sources and can feel different for each person. For example, some chronic pain feels like a dull ache, while others might feel like burning, stinging, or throbbing. While it would be challenging to determine all the possible types of chronic pain, there are a few common types that affect people. These include:
- Joint pain (including arthritis)
- Back or neck pain
- Cancer pain (usually near a tumor)
- Headaches (including tension or cluster headaches and migraines)
- Scar tissue pain
- Body-wide muscle pain (such as in conditions like fibromyalgia)
- Nerve pain
Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Pain
If you’re not sure whether you’re battling chronic pain, it helps to understand some of the signs and symptoms associated with this condition. Signs and symptoms of chronic pain always include some combination of the following:
- Mild to severe pain that doesn’t go away after an illness or injury
- Pain lasting three or more months
- Sore, tight, or stiff muscles
- Shooting, burning, aching, stinging, or electrical pain in one or more parts of your body
Other symptoms or side effects of chronic pain might include:
- Anxiety or depression
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Mood swings (especially irritability)
- Sudden or unexpected weight loss or gain
- Changes in appetite
Treating Chronic Pain
Treating chronic pain often means finding and eliminating the root cause. For example, if a bulging disc causes your back pain, spinal decompression therapy may be an excellent first step. A chronic pain treatment plan will always be individualized to address your unique problems and concerns. However, a few examples of potential treatment methods include:
- Joint Injections: An anti-inflammatory agent is injected directly into the affected joint to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Trigger Point Injections: An injection is given directly in your muscle’s trigger points, which are small knots of muscle that happen when a muscle is injured or overworked.
- SPG Nerve Block: A quick and non-invasive treatment for migraines and headaches where medication is injected directly into the PSG nerves, which are responsible for these types of pain.
Get Help With Chronic Pain at Atlanta Medical Clinic
If you suffer from chronic pain, there’s no need to let it control your life any longer. Contact Atlanta Medical Clinic today for a free consultation with our medical team and find out how we can help you.