Pain is either acute or chronic. Acute pain comes on as a result of injury, illness, or surgery, and it goes away after resolution of the cause. Chronic pain, on the other hand, persists for weeks or months – long after the patient has otherwise healed from the injury, illness, or surgery.
The precise cause of chronic pain is not always obvious. Pain signals are continuously being sent to the brain for some reason, and a physician who specializes in pain management can help you minimize the pain you feel.
Proper pain management is necessary in order to maintain your quality of life. Let’s talk about some of the most common reasons behind chronic pain and who can help you keep your pain under control.
Common Conditions that Cause Chronic Pain
Here are a few of the most common health conditions that can trigger chronic pain:
Osteoarthritis
Also called wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs due to the wearing away of the protective cartilage that lines the joints. Without enough cartilage cushioning the bones from each other, they are prone to rub together when you move – thereby causing inflammation, pain, stiffness, and swelling. This type of arthritis can develop in athletes due to constant use of certain joints, and it can also develop in people as we get older.
Degenerative Disc Disease
This condition causes chronic pain that usually begins in the lower back and can radiate down the legs. It develops as one or more of the protective discs in the spine begin to lose their flexibility and start to degrade, thereby allowing the adjacent vertebrae to rub against each other because the disc no longer provides the protection.
The degeneration of the discs causes inflammation and irritation to the spinal nerves, which can result in chronic pain. The good news is that patients who are diagnosed with degenerative disc disease tend to respond very well to pain management therapies.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs – if compressed or irritated – can cause pain, numbness, and tingling down one or both legs. The irritation often starts due to a herniated disc, where the soft interior of the disc leaks out and puts pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc often happens when the disc becomes dehydrated due to the natural aging process, as the outer layer of the disc cracks and allows some of the soft interior to leak out. Fortunately, chronic back pain due to a herniated disc can usually be treated with a combination of pain medication, injections, rest, and physical therapy.
Chronic Pain Treatment in Naples, Florida
At the Joint Replacement Institute, our orthopedic surgeons and pain management physicians have the specialized training, experience, and skill to identify the source of your pain and treat it successfully. We often use a combination of traditional and new pain management therapies to provide our patients long-lasting relief from chronic pain.
To finally achieve relief from your chronic pain, contact our friendly staff at the Joint Replacement Institute today by calling us at (239) 261-2663 or by filling out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to partnering with you to quell that pain once and for all.
