Chronic Pain: Has Loss of Function Impacted Your Quality of Life?

19 Nov Chronic Pain: Has Loss of Function Impacted Your Quality of Life?

As pain management doctors, we feel it is especially important to help patients recover as much function is possible. Why? Because there is a definitive link between function and quality of life. If chronic pain has resulted in some loss of function for you, there is a good chance that the loss has negatively impacted your quality of life.

Perhaps you feel as though your quality of life has not been diminished. Or maybe you’re just not sure. The following paragraphs will discuss how loss of function impacts quality of life. Hopefully you will have a better understanding of your own circumstances after reading it.

Physical Impacts of Functional Loss

The loss of function is a physical response to pain. But such loss can lead to further physical concerns. Let’s start with limiting mobility.

A chronic condition, like low back pain, makes it difficult for a person to move around. The less a person moves, the more difficult movement becomes. The end result is almost always a reduction in general activity coupled with a desire to limit pain as much as possible.

With limited movement comes additional physical concerns:

• Muscle Weakness – A person’s loss of function can be exacerbated by muscle weakness. Over time, limited mobility contributes to weakening muscles and could eventually lead to atrophy.
• Range of Motion – Certain types of chronic pain can reduce range of motion. For instance, a chronically sore shoulder could be made worse by decreased flexibility and functional range.

All these things combined can gradually limit a person’s physical activity so severely that daily life is impacted. And when chronic pain makes daily life uncomfortable, quality of life is reduced.

Psychological Impacts of Functional Loss

Though loss of function is primarily a physical issue, it has psychological impacts. As pain management doctors, we have seen first-hand how loss of function contributes to mood disorders. In other words, it is not abnormal for chronic pain patients to also exhibit signs of depression or anxiety. A loss of function limits physical activity but gives patients plenty of time to dwell on their discomfort.

It has been noted that as many as two-thirds of chronic pain patients also experience cognitive impairment as a result of loss of function. In addition, patients tend to exhibit fear-avoidance behaviors. They avoid certain activities because they fear the resulting pain. This only leads to further functional decline.

Social Impacts of Functional Loss

Finally, a loss of function has impacts on a person’s social interactions. Let’s start with work. If chronic pain and functional loss are severe enough, they could prevent a person from continuing to work. And because work makes up a substantial portion of a person’s social experiences, no longer going to work puts a big hole in a chronic pain patient’s social fabric.

A loss of function can also lead to social isolation. Consider the chronic back pain patient once again. A loss of function can make it difficult for the patient to get out of the house. The less they get out of the house, the more socially isolated they become.

It All Adds Up

There are still more concerns related to loss of function that we simply cannot get into in this post. Here is the point: it all adds up. When pain leads to a loss of function, a person’s life is changed accordingly. The more function is lost, the less a person is capable of doing. The unfortunate result is a loss of quality of life. And now you know why our pain management doctors work so hard to restore function.