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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Three

Pain toda y gone tomorrow Everyone at some point has experienced the feeling of acute pain such as when you stub your toe or slice your finger. Acute pain is the body’s way of warning you of injury and tends to resolve quickly with little to no treatment. Chronic pain is different. Chronic pain persists. Defined as pain lasting longer than six months despite adequate time to heal, it can occur in any area in the body. One in five Australian adults are reported to be living with chronic pain. For most, it develops from a disease, injury or surgical procedure that has long since healed and for others, it can just appear out of nowhere. Why does some pain persist? In order for a person to experience pain, special pain receptors (noiceptors) have to be activated through some type of tissue damage or inflammation. A pain signal is sent via nerves to the brain where it is interpreted as pain. In the case of chronic pain, the pain signal continues to travel to the brain despite no sign of the original injury as a result of damage or dysfunction to nerves carrying the pain signal (also called neuropathic pain). Unlike other types of pain, neuropathic pain can be quite severe, and is often described as a sharp, burning, stabbing, shooting or aching pain with some even comparing it to an electric shock. It is also more likely to be chronic and less responsive to pain medications. General Health Pain is a very personal and subjective experience. No one can judge how much pain you are in but you. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 31


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Three
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