It’s More Than Just Pain: The Lesser-Known Effects of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain (pain that lasts for more than six months) seldom contains itself in your musculoskeletal system. Unfortunately, our patients also experience struggles in other areas of their health at the hands of their chronic pain. 

In this blog, Dr. Raul Lopez and our team at the West Texas Pain Institute discuss how chronic pain affects your whole body and show you how we can help you find lasting pain relief. 

Chronic pain and your mental health

Living under the weight of daily physical pain is incredibly stressful, and all that stress affects you on a chemical level. Chronic stress alters the levels of hormones and neurochemicals in your brain and nervous system. These changes affect your mood, thinking, and behavior and lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. 

In fact, those with chronic pain are four times more likely to have depression and/or anxiety than those who are pain-free. 

Furthermore, chronic pain often makes it difficult to function at home and work and enjoy the things you once did. The more you withdraw from social activities and hobbies, the worse your mental and emotional health becomes. 

You may even notice that your pain, stress, and mental health struggles compound and affect your ability to focus and control your mood. 

Chronic pain and your gastrointestinal system

Many with chronic pain find it hard to eat normally, and others (specifically those with conditions like fibromyalgia) wind up with irritable bowel syndrome, gluten sensitivities, and other gastrointestinal problems. 

The connection between chronic pain and gastro issues isn’t exactly understood, but many blame it on a hyperactive nervous and immune system. 

Chronic pain and your energy levels

Chronic pain throws you in a vicious circle of mental and physical turmoil, which can also deplete your energy. 

Physical aches and pains and oppressive mental health struggles both drain your energy. To top it off, you’re likely not getting much restful sleep at night, which exhausts you even more. 

Sleep is crucial to restoring your body and mind; when you don’t get enough rest, you stay stuck in that vicious cycle. 

What to do about chronic pain

It’s true: Chronic pain is a whole-health issue. Chronic pain is also notorious for being difficult to diagnose and treat. 

Fortunately, Dr. Lopez and our team of experts have years of experience dealing with chronic pain and its many accompanying symptoms. We begin with thoroughly evaluating your current health status, pain journey, and treatment goals. 

We run a series of diagnostic tests and physical exams to understand exactly what's causing your pain. Once we’ve reached an accurate diagnosis, we create a customized treatment plan, which can include any of the following:

• Medication
• Regenerative medicine (PRP injections and/or stem cell therapy)
• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Mental health counseling
• Dietary adjustments
• Heat and cold therapies
• Epidural injections
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty
• Spinal cord stimulation

If your chronic pain has taken on a life of its own and started to affect more than just your joints and muscles, we want to talk with you. With prompt treatment, we can help you stop the progression of chronic pain and support your overall wellness. 

To schedule a consultation with our expert, call or click to make an appointment at our El Paso, Texas, office today.