Everyone experiences physical pain at some stage in their life, but for 3.7 million Australians, pain is a complex and ongoing problem. Known as an invisible illness, many people with chronic pain may not necessarily look unwell; however, the experience of constant pain for three months or more can significantly impact on a person’s mental health, as well as their ability to work, move, sleep, and enjoy social or family activities.
In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at chronic pain and how it can be managed.
Prevalence in Australia
Chronic pain affects around 3.7 million Australians, comprised of around 54% women and 46% men. As noted by Pain Australia, around two thirds of Australians living with chronic pain are urban based and 68% are of working age.
The financial cost of chronic pain in Australia is estimated to be ~$144 billion and includes costs to the health system, productivity losses, and the reduction in the quality of life for those experiencing chronic pain.
Chronic pain not only affects people physically but also impacts significantly on their mental health. Around 45% of those living with chronic pain also experience anxiety or depression and suicide is reportedly two to three times higher in those suffering chronic pain compared to the general population.
These figures are only set to increase, with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s most recent report estimating the annual cost of chronic pain in Australia will rise to ~$215 billion by 2050.
What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is any persistent pain that lasts for three months or more, or beyond the normal healing time of an injury.
It is a complex issue, as everyone experiences pain differently. Chronic pain can:
- Be a symptom of another disease or a stand-along condition
- Show no evidence of its existence
- Occur anywhere in the body and at multiple sites
- Involve several forms of pain or just one
- Be daily or recurrent, such as a migraine
What we do know, is that all pain is related to the brain.
When you have an injury, nerves send signals from your injured body part to the brain’s thalamus to tell it there’s a problem. The thalamus then sorts through the signal and relays it onto the different parts of the brain responsible for physical sensation (the somatosensory cortex), thinking (the frontal cortex), and emotions (the limbic system).
That’s why whenever you experience pain, you tend to physically feel it, wonder what it was or what caused it, and are likely to have an emotional reaction to it (i.e. feel irritated or cry).
This whole process is an essential part of evolution that helps protects our bodies from danger and harm.
For those with chronic pain, however, the nerves carrying pain signals to the brain or the brain itself, are not behaving in the normal way and can signal that there is pain, even when your tissues are not in any danger.
This video from Pain Australia provides a good overview of chronic pain>>
Are There Different Types of Chronic Pain?
As noted by Chronic Pain Australia, there are many different chronic pain conditions that people can experience; however, most of these can be categorised into three types:
- Nociceptive – which is pain associated with tissue injuries or damage, including from a cut, broken bone or such things as osteoarthritis, pelvic pain and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Neuropathic – which is pain associated with injury or disease of the nerve tissue. This type of pain is commonly associated with shingles, sciatica, pinched nerves, and nerve damage resulting from diabetes.
- Nociplastic – which is pain that results from alterations or changes to the way the sensory nervous system processes noxious stimuli, even if there is no evidence of tissue damage or disease causing the pain. For example fibromyalgia and non-specific lower back pain.
Treatment Options
As there are several types of chronic pain and everyone’s pain experience is different, treatment will generally involve a whole person approach that considers physical, social and psychological factors.
Most pain management strategies will use a combination of:
- Medication
- Physical therapies (such as heat or cold packs, massage, hydrotherapy and exercise)
- Psychological therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and meditation)
- Acupuncture
- Community support – through community and/or online groups
Generally those who actively manage their pain on a daily basis will tend to experience better results than those who rely purely on passive therapies, such as medication or surgery.
The most important step in managing any chronic pain condition, however, is to see your GP.
They will be able to work with you to develop a management plan based on your individual needs and circumstances and can recommend other health professionals to see as part of managing your chronic pain.
Appointments at IMC can be made by contacting us on (08) 9208 6400 or booking online.
Where can I find out more information?
For more information, visit:
- Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care; National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management – https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/the-national-strategic-action-plan-for-pain-management
- Better Health Victoria – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/pain-and-pain-management-adults
- Chronic Pain Australia – https://chronicpainaustralia.org.au
- Health Direct – https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/chronic-pain
- Pain Australia – https://www.painaustralia.org.au