Understanding and Managing Chronic Pain: A Guide to Feeling Better
Pain is something we all experience - whether it’s from a sprained ankle, a headache, or the after effects of a tough workout. For most of us, pain is temporary and fades as the body heals. But for some, pain sticks around long after an injury or condition has healed. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone - around 1 in 5 Australians live with chronic pain, making it one of the most common health issues in the country.
Chronic pain is more than just physical discomfort; it’s a complex condition that can affect many areas of life. It can influence your mood, your energy, and even your ability to do the things you enjoy. In this post, we’ll explore what chronic pain is, why it happens, and how it can be managed in a way that works for you.
What is Chronic Pain and Why Does it Happen?
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for months or even years—much longer than the usual healing time for an injury or illness. While acute pain is your body’s way of signaling that something’s wrong, chronic pain persists even after the injury or condition has healed. We don’t always know exactly why this happens, but it’s often the result of a combination of factors, including how the nervous system, immune system, and other body systems process and interpret danger signals.
Chronic pain can stem from various causes, including:
Nerve Damage or Dysfunction: In conditions like neuropathy or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), nerves may continue sending pain signals to the brain, even after the injury has healed. Sometimes, the nervous system becomes more sensitive to these signals, causing ongoing pain.
Chronic Inflammation: Conditions like arthritis can cause long-term inflammation, which may lead to persistent pain. Even when the inflammation improves, the body’s pain-processing systems may continue to interpret pain signals, keeping discomfort around longer than expected.
Increased Sensitivity of the Nervous System: In conditions like fibromyalgia, the nervous system can become more sensitive, meaning even minor things—like a light touch—can feel like intense pain.
Psychological Factors: Stress, anxiety, and depression can also play a big role in how pain is experienced. When we're stressed or anxious, our muscles can tense up, and our nervous system may become more reactive, making the pain feel worse.
A Holistic Approach to Managing Chronic Pain
Several research-backed methods can help manage chronic pain by addressing both the symptoms and the underlying causes. The best approach often combines multiple strategies, some of these include:
Graded Exposure and Activity Management: This involves gradually reintroducing movements and activities that might have been avoided due to pain. It helps break the cycle of fear and avoidance, build confidence, and restore normal movement over time.
Neuroplasticity-Based Pain Management: While pain is real and often linked to physical causes, the way our nervous system processes pain signals can change. Techniques like motor imagery and graded motor imagery help retrain the brain and nervous system to interpret pain signals in a less threatening way, which can reduce pain over time.
CBT-Informed Movement: This combines physical therapy with cognitive strategies to help you change how you think about and respond to pain. By improving your movement patterns and addressing unhelpful thoughts or behaviors, you can start to feel more in control of your pain.
Education and Self-Management: Understanding how pain works—and how the nervous system, emotions, and other factors all play a role—can be empowering. Learning self-management strategies like pacing, relaxation, and mindfulness can give you more control over your pain and help you reduce its impact on your life.
Exercise Therapy with a Focus on Function: Regular, low-impact exercise has been shown to help reduce chronic pain. Exercises designed to improve strength, flexibility, and movement can help alleviate pain and improve overall function, making it easier to get back to doing what you love.
DIM SIM Therapy: DIM SIM stands for “Danger In Me, Safety In Me.” This approach focuses on how your nervous system interprets pain signals. By helping your body shift from a state of heightened sensitivity (danger) to a state of safety, DIM SIM aims to reduce the intensity of pain. It combines physical therapy with mental relaxation techniques to retrain your body’s response to pain.
Managing Chronic Pain
Living with chronic pain can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to know that there is hope. Managing chronic pain often requires a personalised approach—what works for one person might not work for another. With the right approach, it’s possible to regain control over your body and improve your quality of life.
If you're struggling with persistent pain, our experienced chronic pain physiotherapists are here to help guide you toward a tailored plan that suits your unique needs, and support you through every step of your journey to recovery.