Y's Missy Corrigan: What you can't see can hurt in many ways

According to the U.S. Pain Foundation, approximately 50 million adults live with chronic pain. Chronic pain is defined as consistent pain lasting six months or more. Pain is one of the main reasons individuals seek medical care; yet, they are often overlooked or undertreated. There are numerous reasons for experiencing pain, and often the treatments only reduce the pain by up to 30%. Depending on the cause of the pain, eliminating it may be difficult. Currently, it is the leading cause of long-term disability.

Pain can occur anywhere in the body, and it is a signal that something is wrong. This type of alert should not be ignored. When pain goes untreated or unmanaged, it can become disabling, limiting mobility, daily life and work activities. Chronic pain varies in intensity, and it can feel like a disease because of the widespread impact it has on every aspect of life.

Chronic pain has physical, psychological and physiological effects, reducing one's quality of life. Unrelenting pain disrupts the natural functioning of the body and the brain. It changes one's behavior and mood. Sleep cycles are constantly disrupted, which can add to an already decreased focus and concentration level. It may also cause withdrawal from social events and activities that were once enjoyable.

Long-term pain can have an impact on your mental state, which can even make the pain worse. It can trigger feelings of sadness, isolation, guilt, fear and fatigue. When we don't have control over the pain, anxiety and stress levels can skyrocket. Nearly 80% of adults who experience chronic pain report being depressed.

Chronic pain can also cause physiological changes to the systems of the body, preventing them from working as well as they used to. In fact, a study at the McGill University found that "chronic pain changes the way DNA is marked in the brain and in the T-cells," meaning that the immune system, cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems of the body are changing how effectively and efficiently they work.

Hormones play a role in pain control. When we experience pain, the body translates it as a stressor, activating the major stress control system of the body which is designed to produce hormones for pain control and healing. These hormones are cortisol, DHEA, thyroid hormones, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and pregnenolone. Research suggests that sufficient pain control may not occur if these hormones aren't balanced.

Everyone experiences pain differently, and there is not one specific solution for reducing pain. Pain management strategies might consist of a combination of different approaches to find some relief: medication, massages, exercises that do not increase pain, joining a support group, keeping a journal to track your pain and working closely with your doctor or team of doctors to find the most suitable solution.

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