Medical Move to Treat Chronic Pain as a Disease Bodes Well for Chronic Pain Sufferers

Chronic pain can continue for months and in some cases for years, and this condition has baffled physicians when patients suffer severe pain that is not identifiable. For a long time, treatment for this condition was unknown, but in the past decade medical experts have said that chronic pain is a disease and must be recognized as such. Research is being conducted to find treatments that will heal your chronic pain experience.

Chronic Pain Is a Disease

Experts have arrived at a general consensus of opinion that chronic pain is a disease of the nervous system in its own right that must be managed independently of any underlying disease. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) noted in 2006 that many people suffering chronic pain show no evidence of tissue damage. The organization further noted that there were physicians who still did not believe that pain can be experienced without any evidence of tissue damage. Treatments for chronic disease are emerging, however.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

There is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device which could be the answer to your specific chronic pain suffering. The device is used to deliver minimal electrical current to the skin surrounding the identified areas where you have intense chronic pain. TENS delivery is said to be safe. It is early in its use, but physicians are reporting success in treating some of their patients with this type of nerve stimulation for chronic pain.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a growing trend for treating your chronic pain with herbal supplements as well as yoga and meditation. These treatment methods are reportedly used as complementary techniques along with your other established pain-control treatment methods. CAM treatments embrace the use of massage therapy, magnetic therapy, tai chi, herbal supplements and hypnosis or acupuncture.

Consider using any of the CAM treatments that markedly relieve your chronic pain condition. Massage therapy relieves stress, and stress is a nervous reaction to outside stimuli. Remember to always discuss with your primary care physician any additional therapy that you intend to begin for pain, especially if you currently take other prescription drugs.

Cognitive Behavioral Practices Hold the Key to Treating Chronic Pain

Treating patients suffering from chronic pain by using the biological model of pain as a tissue-related process has not furthered the concept of how to treat chronic pain sufferers. It appears that a combination of medical, psychological, and physical methods are cognitively suitable behavioral practices that hold the key to successfully treating chronic pain sufferers.

For further information, contact a representative from an establishment like the Pain Treatment Center and learn how you can find relief from your chronic pain.


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