Chronic pain isn't just physical

Chronic pain is a devastating health problem that affects approximately 50 million Americans. Chronic pain can be life-changing, influencing all aspects of one's well-being. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control reports that nearly 50% of Americans with chronic pain live with a level of severity that interferes with normal work and daily activities. Chronic pain is not just physical pain; it can even impact one's social, emotional and economic health.

Chronic pain is a constant battle of living with discomfort which can hinder concentration and memory and even prevent one from being present in the moment. Relationships tend to suffer as the pain takes over, changing one's mood and overall attitude and decreasing one's level of tolerance. Additionally, chronic pain sufferers struggle to get quality sleep and tend to experience fear, anxiety and depression more frequently.

Research shows that the brain processes pain very differently when it is short term or long term. Studies show that constant pain can impact the brain and alter the central nervous system. The brain works to maintain balance among the regions, so when one is active, the others are not. This is what happens during short periods of pain. Yet, with long-term chronic pain, the regions are not in balance. With constant pain, the regions are always active, exhausting the neurons and altering their connections.

Pain is your body's natural response to injury, and it should stop once the area has healed. However, chronic pain lasts months or years. Even after healing, the pain continues because the nerves never stop firing. The constant stress response that is triggered by this can reduce the body's ability to fight off illness and prevent disease.

The cause of chronic pain may be a result of an injury that didn't fully heal or a symptom of another disease, like cancer. The pain can be throbbing, sharp, stabbing, burning or even a dull ache. Treating chronic pain can be tricky because the source of it often cannot be seen or felt by the physician. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as invisible pain. For some, it is easy to dismiss what you cannot see, but ask any pain sufferer and they will tell you that you just don't know how debilitating it is until you experience it for yourself.

While it may be difficult to resolve the pain, you can work with your doctor or pain specialist to come up with a treatment plan. Other than pain medication, surgery or nerve blocks, experts suggest trying one or more of these approaches: physical therapy, deep tissue massage, heat or cold therapy, braces, relaxation and meditation practice, exercise, stretching and active release therapy.

Missy Corrigan is executive of community health for Sumter Family YMCA. She can be reached at mcorrigan@ymcasumter.org or (803) 773-1404.