As defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain, chronic pain is classified as pain persisting longer than 3 months. This pain can be either persistent or recurrent over this time period. Chronic pain is also characterised by considerable emotional stress or by functional disability. A key defining feature of chronic pain is that it is multifactorial, what this means is that it is contributed to by multiple different aspects of a person’s individuality. This can include lifestyle choices, health levels, stress, sleep quality, diet, past experiences, emotion, beliefs, and expectations. It doesn’t take a lot to see that very quickly, chronic pain can become complicated and unwieldy. 

Part of our jobs as physiotherapists is to deal with chronic pain, pain that has changed from what it was initially. Because of the different factors mentioned above, working with other health professionals closely like doctors, counsellors/psychologists and occupational therapists can be key to making sure everything in the picture is being addressed. Now, it is worth noting that obviously not all chronic pain is the same or made equal. For some patients who experience chronic pain, the process can be simpler, more straight forward. However, for others, the pathway can be longer and must involve additional professionals to reach the desired goal.

One complaint I have heard numerous times from different patients is that sometimes it feels as though they are being told the pain is “in their head”. Often, a clinician’s explanation of pain is either not clear enough, or the clinician does not understand pain science well enough, which leads to a patient feeling dismissed. Pain in whatever form is very real. After you have pain for long enough (often after 6-8 weeks), you begin to become more impacted as a person. You might be more tired, stressed or concerned. This has a physiological response in your body; you release more inflammatory markers into your system as a result. This, in turn, can make the pain experience more pronounced.

At Yates Physiotherapy, helping patients to understand their chronic pain is often first line treatment as understanding the complexities and layers of this issue allows you to have more of a say and know how to respond and when. “Pushing through pain” or “no pain no gain” are frequent phrases patients use regarding their problem. However, these lines can be more damaging than good. It is important to know how to respond when you have pain and when it’s a good idea to push, versus backing off.

How will you take charge of your pain?