by Michele Blacksberg

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Chronic pain can be life consuming. Pain can not be seen or felt by others making it hard for them to truly understand what the sufferer is going through. The American Academy of Pain Management estimates that 50 million Americans live in chronic pain.

Chronic pain is diagnosed as pain that lasts longer than six months which may be a result of an injury, accident or disease. Uncontrolled pain that continues despite basic treatment warrants investigation of the various options that may bring relief.

Typical causes of chronic pain and diagnosis:

1. Neck and Back pain: Can be related to disc, vertebrae and/or nerve pressure in the narrowed spaces between discs or where the nerves exit the spinal column. Muscle spasms frequently develop. X-rays, MRIs and CT scans can help diagnosis the problem area.

2. Headache: Migraine, tension or cluster headaches are diagnosed by symptoms and whether the person suffers with headaches over 15 days each month.

3. Nerve: Misinterpreted nerve impulses send pain messages to the brain. Pain can be felt as burning, sharp or as a deep ache. Nerve testing (EMGs) can determine the nerve location and injected nerve blocks both confirm nerve involvement and provide relief.

4. Joint- Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint pain and is due to changes and narrowing of the joint spaces. X-rays, MRIs and bone scans can show which joints are affected.

5 Cancer: Tumors or infections can put pressure on organs, nerves and bones causing pain. Blood tests, biopsies and imaging scans can diagnosis the source of the cancer.

6. Chronic diseases such as M.S., fibromyalgia, sickle cell, vascular disease can have pain components that may be constant or flare in response to stresses in the body.

Treatment Options:

1. Pain medications: Opioids are prescription narcotic pain relievers often needed to control severe pain. NSAIDs are over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs that provide pain relief. Steroids are prescription anti-imflammatories that can reduce swelling.

2. Nerve related medications: Drugs such as Elavil and Lyrica work by boosting the serotonin levels in the brain to decrease pain sensations. Neurontin is an anti-seizure drug that inhibits certain types of nerve messages.

3. Surgery: Depending on the cause of the pain problem, surgery to repair injuries, remove pain producing growths or scar tissue or add structural support may provide pain relief.

4. Cancer treatments: Hormones, radiotherapy, chemotherapy

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