Acute pain is your body’s way of waving a red flag for immediate attention, often because of an injury. Chronic pain, on the other hand, lasts for weeks, months, or years. It affects about 38% of Americans—more than cancer, diabetes, and heart disease combined.
Pain Is Both Physical and Emotional: Pain, especially chronic pain, affects more than your body. It’s psychologically stressful and can lead to emotions like anger and frustration. Pain and stress can be a vicious circle, increasing stress levels, which in turn can make pain worse. Seventy-seven percent of people with chronic pain report depression, and seventy percent report trouble concentrating.
Women Feel More Pain than Men: Women experience more pain than men over their lifetimes. Studies also show that women may experience pain differently—often more intensely—than men do.
The Brain Doesn’t Feel Pain: When you stub your toe or touch something hot, your body releases chemicals that send pain signals up through the spinal cord to receptors in the brain. The brain then sends the pain message back down to the part of the body that hurts. But although it’s the interpreter of pain, the brain itself does not have pain-sensitive nerves.
Back Pain Is the Most Common Pain Condition: In a survey done by the National Institutes of Health, 27 percent of Americans said low back pain was their most common type of pain, followed by headaches or migraines (15 percent). More than 26 million Americans aged 20 to 64 suffer from back pain, and each year we spend at least $50 billion on back pain relief. (2012 Everyday Health, Inc. www.everydayhealth.com)
You are not alone! Do not allow pain to isolate you. Do not believe that “no one understands.” Remember, many others are dealing with pain and/or chronic medical conditions like yours.
