At some time in our lives, we will all experience pain—physical and/or emotional discomfort caused by illness, injury, or an upsetting event. Though most of us would rather avoid it, pain does serve an actual purpose that is good and seen as “protective.” For example, when you experience pain your brain signals you to stop doing whatever is causing the pain, preventing further harm to your body. If the acute pain is not treated properly on time, it may progress to chronic pain (any pain lasting more than 3 months, or even after the injury is healed).
There are several ways chronic pain associated with these conditions can interfere with everyday life. It can severly affect our ability to function at home and work.
FOUR Common Chronic Pain Conditions And Their Association With Negatively Affecting Quality Of Your Life:
1.Back/ Neck Pain: The back/ neck pain most people are familiar with is a mild ache that can occur from muscle strain, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, dealing with heavy objects, trauma and/or stress. It can restrict your movements and activity at home and at work. While not common, back/neck pain can also be a signal of a serious underlying medical issue, such as meningitis, or cancer.
2.Arthritis: Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints, which can cause disabling pain in your joint(s). It can also restrict your movements and activity at home and at work. There are more than 100 different forms of arthritis.
3.Chronic Migraines: Migraines that last for 15 or more days a month for more than three months are known as chronic migraines. Chronic migraines frequently occur simultaneously with mental health conditions, and there is an increased prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder in those with migraines compared to those without migraines.
4.Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic multi-symptom disease where the brain and spinal cord process pain signals differently. FM typically affects your mental health, social functioning, energy, and overall general health. It was found that the risk of anxiety disorders (particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder) seemed to be approximately five times higher in women with FM than in the general population.