Everyone experiences some pain and ache from time to time, but when it persists for months or even years, you might experience chronic pain, which is a diagnosis that can completely disrupt your life. The intense pain can be felt anywhere in the body, making it difficult to perform regular activities and think clearly. Hence, besides causing physical distress, chronic pain impacts your mental health as well. If you are feeling like your body is telling you something is wrong, this article can help you identify the major causes of chronic pain and provide you with some effective ways to address the symptoms:
What causes chronic pain?
Chronic pain can have many causes, and it can be triggered by an injury or previous illness. Experts in the medical field consider that chronic pain develops when some nerves in the affected body area become damaged. Still, many people can experience long-term pain even without a previous injury, and it might come from a deeper underlying health problem. For example, these are some potential causes of chronic pain:
- Mental factors: chronic pain and mental well-being are often interconnected; mental disorders like anxiety and depression can influence the body’s reactions, causing severe migraines and pain in other parts of the body.
- Bones, joints, and muscles: the most common cause of chronic pain is injuries to bones, joints, and muscles. For example, long-term back pain, ripped muscles after an incident and problems related to joint ageing could cause aches.
- Nerves: chronic pain can be caused by nerve damage. This kind of pain, also known as neuralgia, can be mild or severe. It can be resulted from internal diseases like diabetes or by surgeries. The pain can be felt on various levels of the nervous system like the spinal cord, brain or peripheral nerves.
- Organs: Visceral pain is usually caused by underlying health conditions that affect the organs. It can be perceived as pressure or a deep ache and can relate to inflammation, decreased blood flow, or, in severe cases, tumours in the body.
How to address the symptoms
Chronic pain might have an unexpected development, but to find the exact cause, you must see a medical professional who can help you with the proper treatment. Still, there are some things you can do to self-manage your symptoms and regain control over your life:
Talk with your doctor
The first thing you should consider when feeling strong pain for a longer period of time is to talk to your doctor immediately. A medical professional can make the diagnosis by performing scans, x-rays, and blood tests to identify the main factors that drive the pain through your body. Moreover, a doctor can prescribe you the right medications to alleviate the pain or even suggest seeing a chiropractor. In the worst-case scenario, if you feel like your life is falling apart and you’re often subject to depressive episodes, your medic might also recommend a psychiatric evaluation.
Alleviate the pain with cannabis
Many studies have been conducted to prove how cannabis can alleviate severe pain. Research shows that cannabis directly impacts the cannabinoid receptors located in the brain in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system focuses on pain modulation, while the peripheral area helps decrease inflammation. So, cannabis can be an efficient way to manage pain and boost healing. If you are considering this natural plant to alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain, it’s vital to check the quality of the cannabis you purchase and, of course, the trustworthiness of the source you choose. For instance, the experts at Seedsman offer a wide range of the most qualitative seeds on the market. Cannabis plants that can be grown indoors and have multiple purposes, as they can improve relaxation, minimise anxiety and alleviate chronic pain significantly. For example, feminised cannabis seeds can make cultivation easier, as they are a beginner-friendly option that has all the medical benefits you need to minimise the impact of your illness on your body.
Consider low-impact physical exercise
Physical activity is an essential factor contributing to your overall well-being, as it can boost your mental health and help you cope with chronic distress. Many people who avoid exercising because of the fear that they can cause more damage can be subject to muscular atrophy, fatigue, and mental disorders. On the other hand, choosing to perform low-impact exercises can build muscle strength, reduce inflammation and release endorphins, which are the hormones that improve mental well-being. For example, doctors recommend aerobic and strengthening activities to manage the pain, but you can opt for any activity you enjoy that doesn’t involve lifting big weights. The point is that even if you’re in pain, keeping your body still can cause more damage, so, simply put, to boost your healing, you need to keep moving.
Priorities your mental health
People living with chronic pain, no matter the cause, are often subject to depression, anxiety and other mental disorders. As we said before, long-term pain can interfere with your daily life, making it hard to perform regular tasks hence, lower your self-esteem and change your perspective on life negatively. When chronic pain and mental health occur together, it’s important to treat them both. For instance, physical activity can be the first step towards a better mental condition, but it’s also important to not lose yourself during the healing process, and embrace the hobbies you once loved, get closer to nature, keep in touch with your loved ones and ask for professional help starting therapy.
The bottom line
Chronic pain can foster within you a negative perspective. Still, if you take immediate action once you understand that something is wrong with your body, you can prevent it from disrupting your life, and with the proper help, treatments and practices, you can face all the challenges and regain control over your mind.
