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chronic pain

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain affects approximately 11% of adults in the United States.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain lasts over a long period and occurs when the pain signals in your body are not working correctly. This can be caused by several different issues and circumstances.

What are the symptoms of chronic pain?

The symptoms of chronic pain are also wide-ranging.  Chronic pain is generally characterized as pain that does not go away after three months or more and can include dull aching, burning, stinging sensation, stiffness, and/or throbbing.  Chronic pain is often accompanied by other symptoms as well such as fatigue, depression, insomnia, lethargy, and overall weakness.

People that suffer from chronic pain may find other areas of their life impacted.  Some may find that they fall into depression in part due to the challenges of dealing with their pain.  Pain can make it difficult to sleep, leaving the sufferer exhausted and frustrated.  Chronic pain may also make it difficult to complete ordinary tasks or participate in activities, leaving a person feeling lonely and isolated.  Negative attitudes may create an unhealthy cycle where the pain creates negative feelings and the negative feelings may actually increase the intensity and duration of pain.  To avoid this cycle, it is important that a person with chronic pain has a strong support system around him or her and maintains a positive attitude.

What causes chronic pain?

Back pain symptoms vary, depending on what’s causing it. However, the common signs and symptoms of back pain include the following:

  • Injuries such as back strain or pulled muscle
  • Work-related injury or car accident
  • Medical conditions such as arthritis, lupus, shingles, cancer, ulcers, and multiple sclerosis
  • Nerve damage
  • Congenital condition
  • Aging
  • Unknown cause

Because there is such a wide array of causes, it can be challenging to pinpoint the source of chronic pain.  There can also be multiple causes of chronic pain acting in conjunction with one another. While initial chronic pain may be caused by arthritis, additional nerve and joint damage could also cause prolonged pain.  Aging may be another contributing factor, as we age our bodies become more susceptible to injury and pain.

How is chronic pain treated?

There are many different medications available to help manage pain depending on the type and severity of the patient is experience.  NSAIDs, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxers, NSAID and narcotics may be used under the supervision and care of a physician to help a patient alleviate his or her pain.

Injections, nerve blocks, and surgery are all also possible treatment options.  These treatments may be localized and greatly depend on the area of pain and diagnosis.

As a person suffering from chronic pain, you don’t have to suffer alone.  Working in conjunction with your medical professional to create a custom treatment plan, you can get your chronic pain under control

AZ Pain and Spine Institute
Chronic Pain Treatments

Here at Arizona Pain and Spine Institute, we improve our patients’ quality of life by alleviating and managing their pain. Some of our Chronic Pain treatments include:

Why Choose AZ Pain - Image

Why choose AZ Pain and Spine Institute to treat your Chronic Pain?

We have a team of medical practitioners, pain management doctors, and staff who are experts on pain management, including Chronic Pain. We use state-of-the-art technology and effective approaches in achieving our mission. We care about your well-being and are committed to making your life pain-free.