It is estimated that 3.6 million Australians live with Chronic pain. With close to 26million people in Australia, that means nearly every 7th person suffers from chronic pain. Chances are it is you or someone you know well. They may or may not talk about it.
The other day I was massaging a young woman who stated that she has pain, “but that isn’t chronic” she said. When I gave her the definition of Chronic pain by Chronic pain Australia, she changed her opinion.
So, what constitutes chronic pain?
Chronic pain is pain from any source that continues for 12 weeks for most days of the week. It can come and go, and this pain can be anywhere in the body. It affects either gender, and can appear at any age.
Many people think of cancer pain when they think of Chronic pain. Whilst this can be true, chronic pain can be caused from Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Migraines, or from other illnesses like Diabetes, also from injuries and surgeries.
Chronic pain may come from an acute origin, which if left untreated or poorly cared for can become chronic.
Chronic pain can cause all sorts of problems such as mood problems, anxiety, depression much of this caused from the body’s response from the pain, reducing the quality of life for the person experiencing the chronic pain.
Therefore, it is important to talk to your doctor about any ongoing pain. Whilst medicine to treat pain such as analgesia can be helpful, other self-help techniques, such as light exercise, meditation, seeing a physiotherapist, and Massage.
It is very important to have the support you need including a good team, who understand that pain is what you say it is even if a source of that pain is not found. Part of a team can be a massage therapist.
Massage can calm down the anxiety related stressors helping the client’s mood and general emotional state and reduce pain, giving the client some great relief.
There is lots of information for those that are interested. Here are some website resources to help those.
Whatever you do make sure you have lots of good help and please see your doctor. For further information here are some good starting resources.
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