22 Sep 3 Common Causes of Chronic Pain Our Doctors Treat
Lone Star Pain Medicine specializes in treating pain with therapies that go above and beyond medication. We treat a variety of conditions ranging from facet joint syndrome to cancer pain. From common causes of pain to rarer ones, our number one priority is to offer patients as much relief as possible without worsening their conditions for causing further problems.
As you might expect, chronic pain takes on many forms in the lives of our patients. It is up to us to determine exactly what is causing a patient’s pain so that we can recommend the most appropriate treatment – something often easier said than done. Nonetheless, our experienced pain specialists do everything they can to help patients find relief.
Here are three of the more common causes of chronic pain we see:
1. Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain worldwide. Here’s the interesting thing, though: arthritis isn’t just a single condition. There are over a hundred different forms of arthritis currently known to medical science. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are probably the two forms most people have heard of.
The root causes of arthritis pain are generally linked to one of two things. First is lost cartilage that would otherwise fill the space between the two bones in a joint. Once that cartilage is gone, the bones grind on one another. The end result is pain.
The other cause is inflammation. In some arthritis patients, their own immune systems create antibodies that attack the joints. The resulting inflammation can cause pain in the bones, muscles, tendons, and even skin.
2. Back Pain
According to John Hopkins Medicine, 80% of the population will experience back pain at least once during their lifetimes. For some people, chronic back pain is an ongoing thing that never goes away. Back pain is so prevalent that it is the number one complaint doctors hear during office visits.
Back pain can be caused by any number of issues. Some people experience it as a result of a pinched nerve. Others experience back pain caused by a slipped disc, arthritis, scoliosis, and even pulled muscles. Lower back pain can be challenging to diagnose and treat among GPs who do not specialize in this sort of thing.
3. Headaches
Among all the different causes of chronic pain, headaches can sometimes seem like the most frustrating to patients and doctors alike. John Hopkins says that millions of people suffer from crippling headaches. The big problem is that there are dozens of different types of headaches along with multiple causes for each one.
The key to successfully treating headaches is correct diagnosis. It can be more difficult than it sounds due to the fact that, more often than not, a doctor’s only means of diagnosis is what the patient reports. Where diagnostic tests can be run, they are helpful to figuring out what is going on.
Migraines tend to be near the top of the list in terms of being debilitating. Interestingly enough, a migraine is not a headache in and of itself. Migraine is a neurological condition that can create a variety of symptoms including pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and aura. Migraine pain can persist for several days during the worst attacks.
In closing, we want to let you know that September is Pain Awareness Month. We are taking every opportunity we have to raise awareness about chronic pain and how debilitating it can be. We invite you to help spread the word as well. If you or someone you love suffers from chronic pain, Lone Star Pain Medicine is here to help.
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