We’ve all experienced pain at one point or another. We stub our toes, bang our shins, and hit our funny bones. And while the pain might be intense, it only lasts a few minutes before it fades.
But what happens when your pain doesn’t go away? What if it lingers for months? This type of long-lasting pain is known as chronic pain, and unlike the pain of stubbing your toe, it can be profoundly debilitating.
While chronic pain is complicated, you can find relief – even if it feels like you’ve already tried everything. Unfortunately, many approaches to chronic pain involve simply masking the symptoms. While this can provide temporary relief, it doesn’t help long-term.
At Vibrant Health Solutions, we take a different approach. We work to determine the origin of your chronic pain–and then our multidisciplinary team collaborates to address it head-on.
Today, we want to look at some of the common causes of chronic pain – and what we can do to address them.
What Exactly Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is officially defined as any pain that lasts longer than three months, well past the time it would take for an injury to heal. Unlike acute pain, which serves as a warning that there is something wrong in your body, chronic pain persists and often interferes with daily life.
Understanding the cause of chronic pain isn’t always easy. While some people experience chronic pain due to an underlying condition (such as arthritis), that’s not the case for everyone. This is part of what makes chronic pain so challenging to manage.
Five Potential Causes of Chronic Pain
1. Surgery
- Surgeries can sometimes lead to chronic pain if they aren’t properly rehabilitated. Scar tissue can form around the surgical site, leading to restricted mobility and long-term discomfort.
2. Injuries
- Generally, pain from musculoskeletal injuries fades as the injury heals. However, not all injuries are obvious. Often, people develop overuse injuries from repeated motions or postures. The discomfort is minor at first, so they ignore it, which worsens the problem.
3. Nerve Damage
- Your nerves are responsible for sending pain messages to your brain. When they’re damaged (usually due to conditions like diabetes or via a nerve injury), they can continue sending pain signals through the nerves, leaving you with chronic pain.
4. Chronic Pain Conditions
- Sometimes, chronic pain stems from an underlying condition. Arthritis is one such example–it causes joint pain and inflammation, leading to reduced movement. Another common pain condition is fibromyalgia, which affects how the brain processes pain signals.
5. A Blend of Factors
- In some cases, several factors might come together to create chronic pain. For example, a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture can strain your muscles, leading to persistent pain. Psychological factors can influence how we experience pain, and some people may be more sensitive to pain signals than others.
The Vibrant Health Solutions Approach to Treating Chronic Pain
Every patient who visits our clinic receives a comprehensive assessment to help us understand their symptoms, health history, and overall movement patterns. We then use this information to determine the underlying cause and create a customized treatment plan that incorporates techniques from injections, rehabilitation, chiropractic care, and much more to address the origin of their pain. This helps provide long-term relief without depending on drugs or other invasive procedures.
Here are some examples of how we might treat different types of chronic pain:
Arthritis
We will assist you to minimize your discomfort and maximize your joint mobility and function. Through a multifaceted approach, we will help your joint move more easily by using interventions such as joint injections (without cortisone), manual therapy and/or laser therapy. We will then ensure your joints and posture are correctly positioned for proper movement and will strengthen the surrounding muscles to stabilize the joint for long term success.
Post-Surgical Pain
We’ll blend pain-relieving treatment approaches such as ultrasound, laser therapy, or trigger point injections with chiropractic and rehabilitative techniques to help improve your range of motion. From there, we’ll guide you through personalized rehabilitation exercises that can help with long-term pain management and lasting functional mobility improvements.
“Mysterious” Chronic Pain
Most “mysterious” chronic pain stems from overuse injuries or postural issues. Hands-on manual therapy techniques and saline-based (non cortisone) trigger point injections can help break up adhesions and scar tissue to facilitate the healing of affected tissue. Targeted exercises and postural correction with proper joint alignment will help address underlying impairments so you don’t suffer another injury.
Ready to Address Your Chronic Pain At Its Source?
Vibrant Health Solutions offers a unique approach to chronic pain management — one that emphasizes resolving the underlying cause instead of treating the symptoms. Every treatment plan encompasses multiple interventions designed to cause necessary tissue changes and each is personalized to meet the patient’s needs. Call us today to schedule your initial assessment!
Patient Success Story
“It has been a long road, filled with multiple surgeries and setbacks, but the therapists at VHS adapted to each new challenge; I am now in a place I never believed I would be. Physically I have been pushed to keep getting stronger and I can now do activities I thought I’d never do again. James was able to address all my concerns and kept working until I got relief. Together, we restored by balance and strength. I am grateful for all of the staff at VHS who supported me on my journey to restoration.” – Amy B.
FREE Workshops
Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff
Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 @6:30 pm
Back Pain and Sciatica Workshop
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024 @6:30 pm
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The Power of Integrated Medicine
Tuesday, November 5th @11:30 am
With Brandi and Ella
The Power of Integrated Medicine
Tuesday, November 19th @12:00 pm
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Feel Better by Eating Better!
Oatmeal Pancakes With Cinnamon Apples
1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk
3⁄4 cup instant rolled oats
3⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of cinnamon (plus 1⁄8 tsp for the apples)
Pinch of nutmeg
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1⁄2 cup apple juice
Butter or cooking spray
In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, oats, flour, milk, butter, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let it rest. In a small saucepan, simmer the apple, apple juice, and cinnamon until the apple softens and the liquid thickens. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter or cooking spray before each round. Scoop 1⁄4-cup portions of batter, spreading into thin circles. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Keep pancakes warm in the oven. Serve with warm apples.
Meet Nora Fulks
Nora Fulks, PTA, was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. She graduated from Washburn University in 2020 with a Physical Therapist Assistant degree, as well as her bachelor’s in Health Services Administration. Enjoying most of her free time with her two children, she indulges outdoor activities such as hiking and hammocking, and she also actively bakes. Nora’s favorite stretches to recommend to people are scapular squeezes and shoulder rolls, to help remedy posture, as it‘s one of the biggest struggles she notices in patients. We’re so glad that Nora is part of our team!
Exercise of the Month
Bilateral Horizontal Shoulder Abduction with Band
Start by standing up straight and holding one end of a resistance band in each hand. Raise your arms straight out in front of you. Pull your shoulder blades together. Spread your arms straight out to your sides, pulling the band apart. Once you have reached your maximal range of motion, let your arms come back in.
Let’s Get You Better ASAP!
Don’t let pain dictate your life. Take the first step towards reclaiming your mobility and well-being with our expert support. Start your journey to a healthier you today.
