Persistent pain
- Persistent pain sometimes called chronic pain, is pain that lasts for 3 months or more despite standard medical treatment.
- It is very common and affects 1 in 5 people
- Persistent pain can be in a particular part of the body like the back, shoulder or legs, or throughout the whole body.
- Pain may be constant or vary. It can flare up or become worse very quickly and often for no obvious reason. You can often experience other symptoms as well as pain, including numbness, burning or electric shocks sensations .
- The cause for the ongoing pain is no longer related to tissue damage, but due to an over sensitive pain protective system.
- This system can be influenced by multiple things including thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Confidence to move the affected area and lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, general health, stress and fitness levels.
- Although persistent pain can be more complex, it can be improved through understanding pain better and changing the way you approach it.
- Watch the video here to help you understand persistent pain and what you can do about it:
- We have all experienced pain at some point in our life and it is an essential function of the nervous system, providing the motivation for us to act and protect the body.
- It is a very unique experience to each of us and your pain will not be the same as your family and friends.
- Our understanding of persistent pain has increased over recent years and it is important that people living with pain also learn about these scientific findings as this has been proven to help reduce pain and give you more control over things.
Self help links
Below are some useful websites that will help you gain a better understanding of persistent pain:
It can be useful to read information from other people who live with persistent pain. Below are some links to websites from people who have learnt to manage their persistent pain.