Chronic pain

Chronic pain is defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks.  Chronic pain may arise from an initial injury, such as back sprain, or there may be an ongoing cause, such as illness. Chronic pain can limit a person’s movements, which in-turn can reduce flexibility, strength and stamina. The difficulty in carrying out daily routine can lead to disability and despair.

Diagnosis: Pain is a very personal and subjective experience. No test exists to precisely measure and locate pain. Doctors rely on patient’s own description of the location, type, timing history of pain to get the best clues to the cause of pain and initial evaluation to determine the type of treatment.

Symptoms: The patient may experience chronic pain in various locations of the body and require the patient and the doctors to work together to identify symptoms and causes to initiate efforts to get relief from that pain.

Since technology is limited in scope of diagnosis, a team of experienced chronic pain experts compile a treatment plan that work best for the individual. This team can extend to include acupuncturists, massage therapists, tai chi, meditation and other similar experts along with medical experts, physiotherapists. The patient and their immediate family are included in the team.

Treatment: There may be no cure for chronic pain. The goal for treatment of chronic pain is to reduce pain and improve function, so the person can resume day-to-day activities. There are number of options for the treatment of chronic pain. Some are more effective than others in managing the pain. The following treatments are among the most common:

Medication, acupuncture, electrical stimulation, nerve blocks or surgery are some treatments used for chronic pain. The other types of less invasive treatments used are psychotherapy, relaxation therapies, biofeedback and behavior modification. These methods can be powerful and effective in some people. Many patients find adding complementary or alternative medicine gives additional relief for chronic pain. This may include massage therapies, meditation, tai chi, acupuncture and similar treatments.

If you suspect that you sustained chronic pain injuries from an accident that occurred due to the negligence of a third party, you may be able claim compensation from their insurance companies.

Please contact SBMB Law at 905.884.9242 for an appointment to evaluate your eligibility with one of our qualified and experienced lawyers.