Acute Pain, Chronic Pain, and Intractable Pain

Every person, at some point in his or her life, will experience pain. Arthritis, migraines, lower back pain and neck pain disable more people than either heart disease or cancer. Pain is not an unnecessary evil. It is an alarm system that is built into our bodies. You would not think of pulling the batteries from your fire alarm without checking to see what caused the alarm to go off, so why would you turn off your body’s pain without seeking its cause. Yet, with the millions of over the counter painkillers and prescription painkillers available, that is just what many people do when they experience pain. The painkillers may relive or mask the pain, but they will not correct the cause of the pain. This by no means indicates that we should have to live with pain, but in the same respect we should not become reliant on drugs to find relief.

Acute pain comes on suddenly and is usually caused by a trauma, cut, bruise, sprain, fracture or infection.

Chronic pain is a pain that lasts for six months or longer. The onset may be mild or severe, sudden or gradual and may come and go. Chronic pain is the most challenging pain to overcome.

Severe chronic pain that does not subside no matter what is done is called Intractable Pain. It is often a pain associated with those dying of cancer or other deadly diseases. Relief of this type of pain may only be found with narcotics, and in this instance these medications should not be withheld. In the most severe cases of this type of pain doctors may resort to surgery, cutting the nerve roots, spinal cord or brainstem to end the pain.

Is It “All In Your Head”

Unfortunately when the medical field finds no physical explanation of pain they indicate that the patient should seek psychological help. This is usually offensive to patients, and many times an unfounded recommendation. Medical doctors are not trained for and do not look for vertebral subluxations, nor do the usually refer patients to chiropractors. These pain sufferers have often found help and relief through chiropractic care when the medical profession has failed to diagnose the cause of the pain.

Neurogenic Claudication

Muscle pain brought on by walking and due to diminished blood circulation is called Neurogenic Claudication. Pain, cramping, numbness, aching, and fatigue in the calf, foot, thigh, hip and buttocks occurs after long periods of walking. With rest the symptoms tend to disappear. Spinal adjustments should be tried prior to surgery, and exercise has proven to help individuals with this condition.

Emotional Factors

Psychosomatic or psycho-physiological disorders such as peptic ulcers or headaches may be caused by emotional distress. These disorders may be treated medically, but the patient must confront the emotional stress and heal it in order to be free of the disorder.

The Medical Approach

Treatment by way of lessening the pain through drug therapy and helping the patient “live” with the pain is primarily used in the medical field. Instead of healing, it simply manages the pain. This is an arrogant approach, as it assumes that if a medical doctor cannot locate or cure the problem, then no other healing professional will be capable of doing so. Chiropractors, herbalists, homeopaths, therapists, and psychologists have helped millions of people. All sufferers of pain may no be healed, but all avenues should be explored before resorting to just living with pain.

The Chiropractic Approach

Millions of pain sufferers have found relief under chiropractic care.  Chiropractors correct the vertebral subluxation complex, which causes poor spinal alignment and nerve pressure. Chiropractic treatment relieves stress on joints, spinal nerves and discs. Chiropractic is an essential need for the treatment of pain, as all patients suffering from pain are in need of a healthier spine. When the spine is free from nerve stress the natural healing energy flows more freely. Years of severe pain may disappear quickly under chiropractic care, or may take some time as the body heals the damaged tissue. Everyone needs a healthy spinal column, and seeing your chiropractor will help to align your spine properly.