5 Common Causes of Chronic Pain, PLUS What You Can Do About It

An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, which is defined as pain that lasts for more than three months. Pain is the result of nerves in your central nervous system sending signals to your brain to let it know that something is going on. The brain sends out an “alarm” that results in the sensation of pain in the area if it feels something is wrong.

Unfortunately, this signal may continue without any obvious cause and with treatment. But, if you’re exhausted from the toll persistent pain has taken on your life from one of these five conditions (or the many others that can cause chronic musculoskeletal pain) and have been unable to find consistent relief, there is hope!

Here Are 5 of the Most Common Causes of Persistent Pain, Though There Are Many More

1. Joint Pain

Inflammation in the joints can not only cause persistent pain that feels achy, sore, throbbing, and / or burning, but stiffness and limited mobility. Arthralgia, or joint pain, is commonly caused by arthritis, and more often by certain types of arthritis such as osteoarthritis, gouty arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, it can also be caused by a range of other health concerns such as Lyme disease or even food intolerances.

2. Nerve Pain

About 10% of Americans suffer from chronic nerve pain, or neuropathic pain. It may feel like a sudden electric shock or like a burning, shooting, and / or stabbing sensation. Persistent nerve pain from conditions such as sciatica, diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, or other related condition is the result of nerve damage, compression, or stripping of the myelin sheath, the protective coating that encases nerves.

3. Back Pain

There is no shortage of symptoms of back pain, nor of conditions that can cause back pain. People with chronic back pain may experience it as a constant dull ache, a burning sensation, a sharp or stabbing pain, or a pins-and-needles sensation. It’s estimated that 84% of American adults will experience back pain at some point during their lifetime, which may stem from deformities, different types of fractures, degenerative conditions such as slipped discs or spinal stenosis, trauma, or other causes.

4. Migraine

A type of headache that recurs, a migraine can cause severe pain with a throbbing or pulsing sensation. Migraines may begin with sensory disturbances such as blind spots in vision / other vision disturbances and tingling in your face or hand. This is known as migraine aura. The intensity of migraine pain may cause nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensory sensitivities, especially to light and sound. Allodynia, or other pain that occurs from nerve sensitivity during a migraine and can cause pain when touched, affects up to 80% of migraine sufferers. Though not always the case, it may be caused by musculoskeletal conditions such as fibromyalgia. Speaking of which…

5. Fibromyalgia

A commonly misunderstood condition, fibromyalgia causes widespread musculoskeletal pain in the muscles and joints. It is commonly felt as a dull, constant ache. Some people experience tender points throughout the body that hurt when touched. In addition to the pain, it may interfere with memory, mood, and sleep, as well as cause chronic fatigue.

Interventional Pain Management Specialists Diagnose and Treat Chronic Pain Through a Myriad of Techniques Including Regenerative Medicine

While your pain might not be permanently eliminated from interventional therapies, treatment does help dramatically decrease the amount of discomfort you feel to help improve your quality of life.

An orthopedic provider specializing in interventional pain management takes a multi-disciplinary approach. Depending on your condition and what treatments have been successful or unsuccessful in the past, they may recommend any combination of therapies to help reduce the severity of pain and its associated psychological effects.

This may include non-opioid prescription medications, physical therapy, radiofrequency ablation, movement therapy, orthobiologics (such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP)) injections and other treatments. So, if you suffer from chronic pain, you should choose an orthopedic provider specializing in interventional pain management.

Reclaim Your Quality of Life with Interventional Pain Management Techniques From Our Attentive, Knowledgeable Pain Specialists at Direct Orthopedic Care (DOC)

Your pain may be chronic, but our interventional pain management providers here at DOC are iconic! Let Dr. Brannon Frank, Dr. Kimberly Ting, or one of our other providers help you become one of the chronic pain sufferers that find lasting relief from constant discomfort.

Whether you suffer from fibromyalgia, an old sports injury, scar tissue, back or neck pain as well as some other type of chronic pain in or as the result of the musculoskeletal system, call us today at 855-898-2655 to book an appointment.

You can also request an appointment online or walk in to one of our clinics anytime during our convenient business hours, including evenings and weekends. For more information visit DirectOrthoCare.com.

For more information on the cost of care, click here.