Chronic Pain, What To Know

​Chronic pain lasts over several months (3 to 6 months) and is a widespread problem.  Chronic pain becomes more common as people age, partly because some health problems that can cause pain, such as osteoarthritis, become more familiar with age.  

Chronic Pain, What To Know
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

What Is The Effectiveness Of Complementary Health Approaches For Chronic Pain?
An increasing body of evidence suggests that complementary approaches, like acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, mindfulness meditation, music-based interventions, spinal manipulation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga, may help manage some painful conditions.
 
What About The Safety Of Complementary Health Approaches For Chronic Pain?
Although physical and psychological approaches studied for chronic pain have good safety records, it does not mean they are risk-free for everyone.  Your health and particular circumstances (such as pregnancy) may affect the safety of these approaches.  If you are considering nutritional strategies such as dietary supplements, remember that natural does not always mean safe and that some nutritional supplements can have side effects or interact with medications.
 
What Is Chronic Pain and Why Is It Important?
Chronic pain lasts over several months (3 to 6 months) and is a widespread problem.  Chronic pain becomes more common as people age, partly because some health problems that can cause pain, such as osteoarthritis, become more familiar with age.  Military veterans are another group at increased risk for chronic pain. 
Not all people with chronic pain have a health problem diagnosed by a health care provider, but among those who do, the most frequent conditions are low-back pain or osteoarthritis.  Other common diagnoses include rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.
Chronic pain may result from an underlying disease or health condition, an injury, medical treatment (such as surgery), inflammation, or a problem in the nervous system (in which case it is called “neuropathic pain”), or the cause may be unknown.  Pain can affect the quality of life and productivity and may be accompanied by difficulty moving around, disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, and other problems.