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I see too many books, websites, products, and services claiming to magically solve chronic pain. Chronic pain by its name is chronic – it lasts a long time. While there is hope for recovery, there aren’t any miracle treatments. Beware of claims that:
Pain is biopsychosocial. To get the best treatment possible, all three elements of pain – biological, psychological, and social – need to be considered and addressed using a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary approach. Instead of looking for a quick fix, focus on managing the pain using tools like cognitive restructuring, distraction, deep breathing, and exercise to break the cycle of pain. Learn more
 If you have chronic pain, the answer is probably yes.
Central sensitization has been tied to a variety of chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia, whiplash, shoulder pain, neuropathic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, non-cardiac chest pain, irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular disorders, complex regional pain syndrome, low back pain, osteoarthritis, pelvic pain, and headache. What is it Central sensitization, also called centralized pain, is a phenomenon of the nervous system associated with the development, maintenance, and amplification of chronic pain. The official definition by the International Association for the Study of Pain is, “Increased responsiveness of nociceptive neurons in the central nervous system to their normal or subthreshold afferent input.” Understanding it Chronic pain is an abnormal response and doesn’t improve over time. It can happen long after an injury or illness heals. It can be due to a degenerative disease, like arthritis. It can be neurological. It can also have no known biological cause, as in the case of fibromyalgia and many common low back pain conditions. Once it becomes chronic, pain loses its warning function and becomes its own disease/condition. It changes how the brain processes pain – misfiring nerve signals and continuing to tell the body it hurts. Just like an alarm that goes on and won’t turn off. An overreaction or amplification, of sorts. It gets stuck on high alert and the body learns the pain. And it can happen in all chronic pain conditions, no matter the underlying cause. We may feel it when only lightly touched or bumped. The pain can move around to different areas of the body other than the spot of the original injury. It can even change the type of feeling we may have like achiness, stabbing, tingling, or burning, for example. Changing it The good news is that central sensitization can be reversed by changing how we manage pain, think about pain, and react to pain. Best treatment is a biopsychosocial approach, including pain education, exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep management, and dietary management. I got a heavy dose of all these at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center. Learn more
There's something powerful about the psychophysiological benefit of slowing down our breaths. It helps relax our bodies and minds.
Deep breathing is as easy as 1-2-3
Try to do this for 5 minutes, 2-3 times a day or when you need to relax. Resources
I created this image after listening to a podcast interview between @DrZoffness and @BrodieSharpe about pain and ways to help manage it. Listen to the two-part podcast: https://app.runsmarter.online/audio/4925.  |
