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About Chronic PainLet’s talk a little bit about chronic pain, especially the difference between acute and chronic pain. I know, chronic pain lasts longer, but there are some implications beyond that. For my clients, I summarize the differences between acute and chronic pain like this: Acute Pain: •Is closely related to current physical damage to the body; •Is more easily discovered using diagnostic techniques like an x-ray or CT scan; •Serves a beneficial warning signal to us that something is wrong; •Is less likely to be associated with complications like depression; and •Is more likely to respond to treatment with traditional medical means.
Chronic Pain, on the other hand… •Is not closely related to current physical damage; it’s sending a signal that is “old news;” •Is difficult to find with diagnostic tests; •Is not sending a helpful warning signal to the body; •Is nearly always associated with problems in mood; and
•Is unlikely to respond fully to traditional medical interventions.
Chronic Pain ConceptsThere are six basic things about chronic pain that I think are critical for you to understand. These concepts have to do with different angles from which we can think about what's happening when you experience pain.Find out more by following this link to the
Concepts of Chronic Pain page.
Myths About Chronic PainThere are a lot of things regarding chronic pain that are misunderstood. One of the most common misconceptions is that pain can be classified as either physical or psychological. You may find yourself wondering if the pain is all in your mind, or maybe one of your friends or family members are questioning whether you're having some kind of "psychological pain."
This artifical distinction between the mental and physical is based in a very Western-culture philosophy of dualism. I would hope that most people now understand that there is an intimate connection between our physical health and our psychological health, and that the idea that there is any pain that is either all psychological or all physical. Unfortunately, there are still medical people and laypeople who think that one of the first things that needs to happen with a person with long-term pain problem is to make sure it’s not “all in their head.” The idea of physical versus psychological pain is a myth that has outlived its usefulness. Every type of pain has both components, and both psychological and physical components of pain are real and very legitimate entities, each of which require their own treatment interventions.
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