Chronic pain has been a fascinating topic, and one that I take quite a bit of interest in. The management of Chronic Pain over the decades has changed so much. The most modern Chronic Pain management involves neuroplasticity, and changing our brain maps.
Our brains have a map of a "little man/woman" called the homonculus. This map helps tell our body where we are experiencing sensations/pain. Current evidence shows that Chronic Pain patient's have a skewed or blurred map, which causes sensitivity to the experience of pain. This is called 'hypersensitivity.'
There are other people with chronic pain who experience all sensations as pain, which we call "allodynia." Along with blurring/skewing of the map in the brain, it also involves hypersensitivity of the Nervous System.
When the Nervous System is hypersensitive, it overreacts to stimulus. This would be like setting your 'Ring' Alarm system at your front door to a 30 mile radius; there's a lot going on in a 30 mile radius. The 'Ring' Alarm system would probably be ringing every second!
The same goes for the alarm system of the human body, or the Nervous System. If pain has been occurring for a long period of time, the nervous system becomes hypersensitive and can overreact to every little stimulus. Even a gust of wind can provoke pain!
In the Azusa Pacific University Doctorate program, we are trained to assess and treat Chronic Pain through modern Pain Management. Not only do we address the physical impairments, but the nervous system sensitivity is also addressed through current evidence based treatment and exercises. More often than not, physical pain from Chronic Pain cannot be addressed until the map of the brain is more precise, and the Nervous System has desensitized. Only then can we get a true picture of what physical impairments lie beneath.
Have you had pain for more than 6 months?
Is your body sensitive to stimulus that aren't necessarily 'noxious' or typically painful?
Have you been to a Pain Management Doctor only to get a prescription for Opioids , or a pain injection of Toradol?
Has any Health Care Practitioner every addressed your Nervous System?
Have faith; Modern Pain Management and the new wave of Clinicians are here to help. Reach out to a Doctor of Physical Therapy trained in Modern Pain Management.
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