Chronic pain occurs in many people for a variety of reasons. You can find treatment with the help of professionals, but the many myths about chronic pain can make finding help more challenging than it has to be. Below, you will find common myths about chronic pain explained so you can learn the truth and find suitable treatment ASAP.
Chronic Pain Will Always Happen With Age
A common misconception about chronic pain is that it is a natural result of aging. This topic is complex because chronic pain results from prolonged habits, which can happen as you age. However, this doesn’t mean that you should expect to experience chronic pain when you get older. The sooner you understand what chronic pain is, the sooner you can start altering your lifestyle to avoid it affecting your life. For example, if you don’t have chronic pain but push yourself physically at work daily, prioritize healthy practices such as stretching and taking breaks to help your body rest. Overusing muscles and joints, especially with awkward, repetitive movements, is an easy way to encourage chronic pain to occur over time.
Consider the aspects of your life that are most physically demanding, and make sure you’re using the proper practices and equipment for whatever you’re doing. If it’s not work that causes your soreness or inflammation, it could be sports. These physical activities help people live healthy lives, but misusing equipment can cause inflammation and pain.
Simply put, treating your body well can reduce your chances of experiencing chronic pain. Keeping the body safe requires a good diet, consistent exercise, and implementing healthy practices for many years. You can’t solve chronic pain at the snap of your fingers, but you can avoid it with a life full of positive choices.
Chronic Pain Has No Solution
Although you can’t solve chronic pain instantly, there are treatment options. It’s common to assume that if you feel symptoms of chronic pain, then it’s too late. Don’t worry; chronic pain is not irreparable damage. Sometimes, all you need is an expert who can assess your symptoms and find a way to promote natural healing in the body. For example, our chronic pain treatments at Anodyne include natural and non-invasive therapies that, in some cases, can use the healing abilities of your own body to promote relief.
One treatment we provide is PRP injection therapy, which involves extracting platelets from a patient’s blood and applying it to the affected area. That way, the body’s naturally occurring growth factors can heal damaged cells so the patient can find relief. Pairing physical therapy with lifestyle changes can provide even further help for long-term pain relief, so think ahead with your chosen treatment.
You Have To Stop What You’re Doing Completely
As mentioned above, lifestyle changes can help patients find pain relief. However, this doesn’t mean you must give up your favorite sport or job to find peace. For example, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are two types of pain that affect the titular joint due to overuse. Seeking treatment from a professional gets you one step closer to living a healthier life, but don’t forget to consult with your healthcare expert about how to keep golf or tennis in your life without causing inflammation to strike again. We can give general advice now, but only the expert working with you directly knows your specific situation. Through this partnership, you can work together to build a personal routine that perfectly fits your body’s unique needs.
At Anodyne, we provide personalized treatment to everyone because that is the best way to find the issue and resolve it effectively. Everyone’s situation will be unique to them because each patient’s body and habits are different, but assuming you must give up your job or any sports entirely is a common misconception.
Chronic Pain Requires Medications for Treatment
Some patients worry about chronic pain treatment because they think the only solution is taking painkillers. Using medications is an option you can explore if that’s what you’re comfortable with, but alternative treatments exist. As mentioned above, the PRP injection treatment uses your body’s natural healing abilities and requires little more than a precise injection.
Likewise, physical therapy and strategic stretching routines can help you achieve pain relief for your issue. Work with a healthcare professional who can work with you on a comprehensive treatment option so you can explore all the options available. The more you know about the treatments available in your area, the easier it will be to find an option you feel comfortable pursuing.
Physical Activity Will Make Things Worse
One of the most common myths about chronic pain is that physical activity worsens the pain. The reason that this is such a critical misconception to address is that there is a certain level of truth here. Physical activity can cause pain to occur in the affected area. If you experience tennis elbow and do nothing to treat it, then that physical activity of swinging the racket contributes to your pain. The most crucial detail to remember about this misconception is that not all physical activity is bad.
For instance, working with a chronic pain specialist on a designated workout or stretching routine is a way to find a physical activity that will promote healing instead of hindering it. Physical activity can be integral to pain treatment, so never assume it will only make things work without first talking to an expert about your options.
Bed Rest Is the Best Solution
Going hand in hand with the myth above, a common misconception patients have about chronic pain is that laying down and enjoying some bed rest is the best solution. Bed rest can help minor soreness go away, but chronic pain is another thing entirely. Chronic pain results from prolonged physical habits, so simply sleeping it off isn’t the most effective solution. Bed rest may be a part of your treatment, but if you partner with a pain specialist, your rest will get intertwined with other steps that promote safe physical activity.
Chronic Pain Only Affects You Physically
One final chronic pain myth we must debunk is that the side effects are only physical. Unfortunately, chronic pain can affect many parts of our lives, including our emotions. Feeling stabbing pain in your muscles or joints will be distracting as you try to walk around, work, and even sleep. Of course, your experience will vary depending on your symptoms, but pain hindering someone’s daily functions can cause stress and anxiety.
Thanks to the tips above, you’re one step closer to understanding chronic pain and how to seek treatment for any symptoms you may feel.
