Do you live with pain? Do you constantly seek out explanations for your pain? Do you know there are different pain types? Do you know which type of pain affects you? Do you have a plan to reduce your overall pain, or when you have severe pain breakthroughs?
Pain is defined as “Suffering or discomfort by illness or injury.” It is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with or resembling actual or potential damage to the body or mind. Pain is always a personal experience that is interpreted and influenced by varying degrees of biological, psychological, and social factors. The sensation of pain involves communication between your nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Different types of pain depend on the underlying, or root, cause of the origin of your injury. Determining which type of pain and resulting pain management plan that works for you is the key to lasting relief.
Acute pain is short-term pain that comes on suddenly after an injury. Acute pain will generally go away after the sources of the injury are treated.
Chronic pain is long-term pain that persists longer than 6 months after the original source of pain has been treated. The causes of chronic pain are numerous and depend on the extent and severity of tissue damage and inflammation that remains unresolved and unmanaged.
Nociceptive Pain is caused by the potential harm to the body’s tissues. ‘Noci’- Latin for ‘hurt’ and ‘ceptor’- for ‘receptor’ are special cell functions that feel pain, then notify the brain when there is damage to such areas as tissues, muscles, bones, and skin. These receptors can also detect injury by heat or cold and hazardous chemicals. There are even nociceptors that are sensitive to different origins of pain. For example, Radicular pain can be described as damage to nerves, Somatic pain with damage to tissues, and Visceral pain with damage to organs.
Neuropathic pain is caused by the body’s neurological system- this means that your nervous system is damaged. This damage affects the nerves that send signals to your brain. This can be caused by trauma, surgery, viral infections, and chronic metabolic conditions.
Inflammatory/Functional pain is caused by an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to an offending pathogen, chemical agent, allergen, or auto-intoxication trigger. We see more of this type of pain syndrome than ever before, with chronic illness being the highest statistical co-morbidity in history.
Psychological pain results from living with chronic pain, which alters your brain biology. This pain may cause anxiety, depression, emotional distress, rage, or hopelessness. All of these responses may increase the chronic physical pain you already live with. Chronic pain may stimulate chronic systemic stress, which is a maladaptive behavior to incoming signals in the brain. Over time, changes in structural and functional neurological circuitry become persistently harmful responses.
It is important to properly define and describe which type of pain you are experiencing. This allows for more clear communication with your pain management provider. The key to understanding, managing, and overcoming your pain is by selecting the right treatment at the right time for the right type of pain you have.
When describing your pain, it is recommended to keep a journal: see PAIN JOURNAL on the LifePoint resource page for a printable download that you can use daily. When accurately describing your pain syndrome it is useful to follow a consistent reporting system. Here are a few tips:
Onset- When and how long ago did your pain begin
Provocation-What causes or aggravates your pain
Quality-What does the pain feel like- dull, burning
Relief-What makes it feel better
Severity-How severe is the pain- use a scale (1-10)
Time- How long does it last
When pain is unresolved it becomes increasingly difficult to treat. Chronic pain occurs through a process called sensitization, which is repeated exposure to pain stimuli for more than 12-24 weeks after injury. While there may be medical conditions that do not qualify for pain relief therapies, most pain can be successfully relieved with a combined integrative and functional approach to therapy. In our clinic, we offer such therapies as:
Acupuncture, with or without electrical stimulation
Acupuncture Injection Therapy (AIT), with our precision homeopathic formulas and PRP/PRF
Topical interventions, with heat/cold therapy, anti-inflammatory herbal medicine formulas, and CBD
Anti-inflammatory homeopathics and supplements
Breathing techniques, mind-body awareness techniques
Brain Tap sessions
Heart Math ‘Heart Lock In’ sessions
Stretching and movement exercises
Nutritional tips
Whether your pain is acute or chronic, schedule a consultation with our licensed pain management provider at LifePoint to find out if our services are right for you!
LifePoint Medical Consultants, LLC 719-314-9121
755 Hwy 105, A Palmer Lake, CO 80133
