According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, chronic pain impacts 1 in 5 Australians. In 2016, almost 1.6 million people suffered from chronic pain. That number grew to 3.24 million people in 2018. Most of those people were over 45 and were female. Also, people with chronic pain were 2.7 times more likely to be prescribed a pain medication. When you go to a physician, you will often get prescribed a pain medication, which is designed to treat the symptom, but not the underlying cause.
By 2050, 5.23 million people in Australia will live with chronic pain. Chronic pain is a very real problem, but with a little bit of help, it does not have to be part of your daily life.
How Chronic Pain Impacts Your Life
Australians who suffer from chronic pain are 5 times more likely to be severely limited in their day-to-day activities in comparison to those who have no pain. Chronic pain can be caused by a plethora of conditions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia are the three biggest drivers of chronic pain.
- Other types of diseases can also cause chronic pain, including multiple sclerosis, stomach ulcers, and certain immune disorders.
- In some cases, chronic pain has no underlying cause.
Some of the different types of chronic pain include neuropathic pain and nociceptive pain. The former (neuropathic) is caused by damaged or malfunctioning nerves. The latter (nociceptive) is caused by the pain receptors being fired. Nociceptive pain falls into three different categories:
- Somatic Pain: Pain that impacts the bones, skin, muscles, joints, and ligaments.
- Radicular Pain: This is a pain that is triggered by irritated nerves.
- Visceral Pain: This is a type of pain that impacts the internal organs.
Chronic pain can have very debilitating effects on daily livelihood. Since chronic pain limits day-to-day activities, chronic pain can be isolating. It can also have an impact on sleep and diet. Chronic pain also tends to lead to hospitalisations. From 2017 to 2018, there were nearly 105,000 hospitalisations related to chronic pain.
Resolving Chronic Pain Naturally
Resolving chronic pain involves motivating the mind and body to take total control. Too often, chronic pain sufferers only can focus on their pain, not the solution to the pain. The healthcare system also focuses chronic pain sufferers on short-term solutions to the problem, like painkillers. By understanding what triggers chronic pain and what triggered it in the past, it is possible to remove the trigger, thus realigning the neural pathways to make the change permanent.
Chronic pain does not need to isolate you, reduce your daily activity, or negatively impact your life. Enroll in one of our programs today to get the help you need to put your pain behind you. No matter what type of chronic pain you face, it’s time to put your pain behind you.
