Pain serves an imperative role in our lives. When you suffer an acute injury, pain alerts you to discontinue the activity causing the injury and tells you to protect the injured body part.

Chronic pain, however, persists for extended periods of time; weeks, months, or even years. Some people, most commonly older adults, experience chronic pain and have no history of traumatic injury or indications of any bodily damage. Ordinary chronic pain may be caused by headaches, low back dysfunction, and arthritis. Unfortunately, there is limited impartial evidence or physical findings to clarify such pain. Recent scientific evidence is revealing that the spinal cord nerves of patients suffering with chronic pain go through structural changes.

Psychological and social factors often intensify the consequences of chronic pain.  For instance, people with chronic pain frequently report a broad range of boundaries in social and family roles, such as not being able to carry out normal household chores or workplace duties, care for children, or participate in leisure activities.

HOW IS DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC PAIN?
People with chronic pain frequently experience depression. It is thought to be more prevalent in those who suffer from chronic pain than in those not suffering. Moreover, 30 to 80% of chronic pain sufferers will experience some type of depression. The combination of chronic pain and depression is often associated with greater disability than either depression or chronic pain alone.

 Until recently, we believed that bed rest after an injury was important for recovery. This has likely resulted in many chronic pain syndromes. Avoiding performing activities that a person believes will cause pain only makes his or her condition worse in many cases.

SIGN AND SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC PAIN

• Pain lasting more than 6 months after initial onset of injury
• Pain from stimuli which commonly do not cause pain
• Increased pain from sources that are ordinarily painful
• Being extremely sensitive to pain 

Signs of significant clinical depression will manifest daily for over 2 weeks, and most commonly consist of several of the following:

• An overwhelming  feeling of sadness
• Rapid gain or loss of weight
• Decreased concentration
• Reduced memory
• Feeling pain frequently
• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
• Feeling of unimportance and/or guilt

If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned signs and symptoms, we encourage you to contact our office and schedule a consultation with the doctor. Feel free to inquire about any methods for coping with chronic pain and depression with the staff at Merrifield Chiropractic Center. The doctor may provide some straightforward techniques that may help manage your condition.

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