When pain prevents you from getting on with life it’s a serious problem. It can impact everything from the smallest day-to-day things, and prevent you from doing things you value most such as exercise, socialising, favourite hobbies, or simply providing for your family.
The good news is that for most people with chronic pain there is scope for real sustainable change, without the need for endless passive treatment.
All pain is REAL
It’s really important to understand that pain, in any context, is a real symptom. If you feel it, it’s there. But it can be generated via different mechanisms, and understanding what is driving pain is essential in order to resolve it.
If we feel pain it’s natural to be protective and careful of that area.
If you’ve had pain for a long time (more than a few months), it’s understandable if it’s stressful for you and those who care for you. Especially if you don’t feel you have any control over the pain – this can be as scary as the pain itself.
Pain doesn’t automatically mean damage
When we have joint or muscle pain it’s easy to jump to conclusions and assume it’s because of damage, degeneration, or inevitable old age issues because things are ‘broken’, and it’s too late to fix them, or what is wrong or damaged has been pointed out by a health care practitioner or specialist.
But generally this isn’t the case, even if you have ‘evidence’ in the form of scans or x-rays, very often these findings are not the cause of pain – there are people walking around with disc bulges and degenerative joints who have no pain whatsoever – why are they different to you?
Getting control of pain
What’s really interesting is that with time our nervous system changes how our body generates pain. This is called neuro-plasticity and science is now really starting to understand what influences these neuro-biological changes. This knowledge provides really effective ways of dealing with chronic pain conditions, which have previously been hard to treat – whether there are ‘abnormal’ findings on MRI scans or x-rays, whether you’ve surgery or not, whether you have been given a clear diagnosis or not.
Acquiring medications like tramadol is a common approach in healthcare to manage pain. Pain can emerge from various origins, and its treatment is adapted based on its type, intensity, and the patient's unique needs. When people buy tramadol for pain relief, they are purchasing a synthetic opioid analgesic intended to address moderate to considerably severe pain. It acts by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, thereby reducing the pain sensation. Notably different from traditional opioids, tramadol also impacts neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and norepinephrine, adding to its pain-relieving properties.
Everyone’s pain experience is unique
Therefore the strategies that help and resolve chronic pain conditions also need to be unique and specific.
This can be achieved with evidence-based methods that are safe, efficient and effective, and designed in collaboration with the individual using the latest understanding of pain science and neuro-biology.
The goal is to achieve lasting changes quickly, in a way that puts the individual in control: if you are in control your pain, you are back in control of your life.
Have a look at these videos; they are a helpful way to start understanding what’s going on in the nervous system when we have pain.
Understanding Pain in less than 5 minutes, and what to do about it!
TEDxAdelaide – Lorimer Moseley – Why Things Hurt
Additional Support
If you have any questions or would like additional support in dealing with chronic pain, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the form below.
