The idea of living with a chronic pain condition is one that it’s hard to really understand unless you’re experiencing it. Most of us – very nearly all of us – are perfectly familiar with being in pain, but to even imagine being in a situation where pain is close to ever-present? That’s another thing entirely.
One of the ways in which life with a condition like this can be deeply depressing is that you’ll find people don’t believe it can be as bad as it is. Many people – particularly women – may even find that from time to time their doctors underestimate the level of pain they’re dealing with. As such, it’s perhaps a good idea to shed some light on how chronic pain conditions affect sufferers, and what can be done about them.
What is a chronic pain condition?
In the simplest way, a chronic pain condition is any pain that is experienced constantly over a period of three months or more. It may well be a secondary condition; frequently conditions such as cancer, migraine and arthritis are among those that cause chronic pain. The pain may stick around long after the cause has gone away or been successfully treated.
Where does the skepticism come from?
When you have a broken leg, it’s easy for everyone else to tell that you have a broken leg. You’ll have a plaster cast and probably crutches. Chronic pain conditions aren’t usually so visible – there’s no outward sign of something like fibromyalgia – and it is unfortunately not uncommon for people to presume that a sufferer is malingering.
Is the skepticism justified?
Not really. There is a consensus from physicians that fibromyalgia is very much a real condition, and there are even diagnostic criteria. As for other causes of chronic pain, they’re well-established and even the biggest skeptic would struggle to imply that they aren’t for real.
How do you treat a chronic pain condition?
This is among the trickier questions to answer. It depends to some extent on the cause of the pain. If this can be readily identified, then it may be possible to prescribe a targeted form of pain relief; some medications are developed specifically for nerve pain, others for muscle pain. Sometimes, antidepressants or anticonvulsants will work well. However, many pain medications have severe side effects or are opioid-based and risk addiction. There’s something to be said for alternative practitioners and the cannabis brands they sell, as they may offer a way to minimize pain without the risks associated with pharmaceuticals. Additionally, there are some dietary approaches, massages and exercises which can reduce pain.
What are the dangers of a chronic pain condition?
Over and above the pain caused by such a condition, additional complications can include insomnia – the pain and attendant annoyance can make it hard to relax. This can feed straight into fatigue, although fatigue can also be due to the pain itself or even result from the medication used to keep the pain to a minimum. There are also mental health issues associated with chronic pain; anxiety is a common comorbidity, while depression is also unsurprisingly highly common in people who spend most of their days in pain.
How do you get a doctor to take your chronic pain seriously?
In general, a doctor will need nothing more than your saying you have a chronic pain condition in order to want to help you. However, if you have a doctor who is skeptical about the issue, it’s useful to be as direct as possible when reporting your symptoms. Tell them exactly where it is, how frequent it is, and use clear terms when describing how bad the pain is. Doctors can be quite forceful and probing when asking questions, and it may make you reluctant to be clear about how bad the pain is.
Don’t say “It can get quite bad at times”. Be clear and say “At its worst – which is a few times a day – it hurts so much that I can’t focus on anything else.” Compare it to something: “I once dropped a brick on my foot, and that was nothing like as painful as this”. Give the pain a number from 1-10, and when you’re asked how bad the pain is, give the number that you would give it when the pain is at its worst. Because in truth, you need the doctor to take this seriously, and if they think it’s the kind of thing that will go away with a couple of acetaminophen, then that’s how they’ll treat it.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain, go to your doctor and tell them just how bad it is. Don’t get brushed off – there is a lot that can be done for you, as long as you get the right help.