Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a broad term that describes a range of pain-causing conditions lasting over three months. There are many Australians that have to manage chronic pain daily. If you experience chronic pain, it's essential to consult with a health professional who can take a comprehensive look at your condition and offer a multidisciplinary approach to managing it.

A multi-disciplinary approach is recommended to treating chronic pain. This may include pain medicines, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, manual therapy and other pain management treatments. You don't have to suffer from chronic pain on your own; many health professionals are ready to help you!

You can treat chronic pain in many ways, and everyone reacts to treatment options differently. So, while some people can manage their chronic pain through regular pain medicines, others require physical therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to relieve pain. Sometimes, people with chronic pain may also need psychological treatment, as psychological issues may cause chronic non-cancer pain.

Managing chronic pain is tough. If traditional chronic pain treatment options aren't treating you well, it might be time to seek other pain management methods like medical marijuana treatments.

Our team of doctors offer various pain management treatments designed for chronic pain. If you've been looking for a new way to handle persistent pain, our doctors may be able to help. Book a consultation with one of our Chronic Therapy doctors today to discuss Medical Cannabis.

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1. What is chronic pain?
2. Causes of chronic pain
3. Chronic Pain Variations
4. Can You Cure Chronic Pain?
5. Do Many Australians Suffer from Chronic Pain?
6. Conventional Chronic Pain Medications: Do They Work?
7. Using Medical Cannabis to Treat Chronic Pain Symptoms
8. Accessing Medical Cannabis in Australia
9. FAQ

1. What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is an umbrella term. Typically, the term is used to describe any persistent acute pain that lasts more than three months. Chronic pain can come about from various reasons, from underlying health issues to injury, nerve damage, sciatica, and more.

Acute pain is our body's normal response to an injury. When our body heals, there will be some pain as a result. However, this isn' t supposed to last forever, so if the pain persists for over three months, it's classified as chronic.

Chronic pain exceeds the body's normal healing time and can significantly impact a person' s life. It can affect people on a personal level, getting in the way of their relationships and causing a sense of loneliness and isolation.

Many people with chronic pain can live full, happy and prosperous lives. Doing so involves understanding when to ask for help, trialling various pain management methods, and pacing oneself when performing physical activities.

Remember, you don't have to suffer from chronic pain alone. Asking a health professional for advice on how to manage chronic pain is the first step to treating the condition.

2. Causes of Chronic Pain

Since chronic pain is such a broad term, there are many reasons people can suffer from these pain disorders. It is crucial to be appropriately diagnosed by a healthcare professional who can rule out rarer, potentially severe underlying causes.

Some of the most common causes of ongoing pain include:

Chronic pain often results from an underlying condition. However, many people with chronic pain can't precisely pinpoint the cause, making it hard to manage the pain.

For this reason, a healthcare professional is required to create a specific treatment plan, tailored to your individual needs.

3. Chronic Pain Variations

Chronic Pain is an umbrella term for various complex and often misunderstood conditions. Chronic pain presents differently between individuals; these variations include

All of the above factors vary among people suffering from chronic pain, and measuring someone's perceived pain is very difficult.

The pain's frequency, intensity, duration, and location vary from person to person. In some people, the area of the pain is isolated to one body part, while pain refers to other body parts in others.

Some people report that their pain can vary significantly from hour to hour and between days. Some people only get pain signals when performing certain activities. But for others, the pain is persistent, which can greatly affect one's physical and mental health.

Chronic pain presents differently for everyone, so treatment plans must be tailored to their needs. Everyone that suffers from chronic pain has an individual experience. For this reason, a holistic approach to managing the pain is recommended, with a combination of self-management through lifestyle changes and a unique treatment program from a healthcare practitioner.

4. Can You Cure Chronic Pain?

Sadly, there is no one size fits all cure for chronic pain. In some cases, a surgeon or manual therapist (physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath) can treat the underlying cause of the pain, eliminating the condition. These treatments often come with lifestyle changes, which prevent the underlying case from reoccurring.

Unfortunately, the condition's underlying cause can' t always be easily treated. Many people have to focus on managing the pain instead of eliminating it. This is most effectively done through lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques, pain medicine and alternative medicine.

The management of chronic pain is different for everyone. Some people will require occupational therapy, some may only need nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, while others need a comprehensive treatment plan to reduce pain and improve their mental well-being.

Treating chronic pain requires finding the perfect combination of treatments for your individual needs. So, contact a doctor today to learn how to reduce chronic pain and improve your life.

5. Do Many Australians Suffer from Chronic Pain?

Many Australians suffer from chronic pain, which can be constant, intense. This can lead to depression and affect their mental and social health. Chronic pain affects over 3.6 millionAustralians, the most common type being chronic back pain.

Chronic pain symptoms can greatly affect a person's life. They can make simple everyday tasks challenging, which often negatively impacts their self-esteem and relationships with others.

There is no cure for all causes of chronic pain. However, over the years, healthcare professionals have developed multiple pain management techniques designed for people suffering from chronic pain. Some chronic pain treatments include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, relaxation techniques, exercises to relieve muscle tension or even a combination of techniques to help manage your pain.

You can book a consultation with a Chronic Therapy doctor today to find the best chronic pain treatment options. They will access you holistically and recommend non-medical treatments alongside prescribed medications to relieve chronic pain.

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6. Conventional Chronic Pain Medications: Do They Work?

The management of chronic pain doesn't include a one-size-fits-all approach. Some people can deal with their chronic pain symptoms with pain medicines, but this doesn' t work for everyone.

These pain medications bind to receptors in the brain, preventing pain signals from reaching them. While opioids and other medications can provide significant pain relief and help people live a "normal" life, they can also be addictive. Chronic pain commonly affects people for years, and relying on opioids may result in a person building tolerance and dependence on the medication.

Opioids were responsible for over 62%of drug-induced deaths in Australia, so there are many concerns about the risks of using these medications for chronic pain. There is a severe risk of developing an addiction to opioids, which is why they may not be the ideal treatment option for some people.

Instead, many experts recommend a multi-faceted approach to treating chronic pain. Since it's such a complex condition, most people require multiple treatments. Some of the other ways professionals treat chronic pain include:

7. Using Medical Cannabis to Treat Chronic Pain Symptoms

Medical cannabis may treat chronic pain symptoms for some patients. It can also be prescribed to reduce opioid dependence in some patients. Interestingly, our brains have more cannabinoid receptors than opioid receptors.

It is important to note that the Therapeutic Goods Association of Australia does not recommend cannabis medication as an initial treatment option for chronic pain. More evidence is required through clinical trials before any cannabis medication is recommended as a primary treatment for chronic pain.

In many cases, patients that do not respond well to traditional pain medications turn to medical cannabis to help manage pain. Medicinal cannabis should only be used under the supervision of a doctor as there are a variety of potential side effects and contraindications to taking it safely.

A doctor can create a patient-specific cannabis treatment plan. This will include the most appropriate cannabis medication (if any), as well as the correct dosage protocol for all of the patient's current medications.

8. Accessing Medical Cannabis in Australia

Here at Chronic Therapy, we can connect you with doctors who can determine the best ways to manage your pain. Our doctors are authorised prescribers for cannabis and can screen you for suitability for cannabis medications and other treatments.

Living with chronic pain can be stressful and significantly affect one's personal life. Many people struggle with depression and other issues due to their chronic pain, and this is why we' ve made it easier for people to seek alternative chronic pain treatments for their conditions.

Here at Chronic Therapy, we have a 3-step process to getting medical cannabis for chronic pain. To find a doctor to prescribe medical cannabis for chronic pain treatment, head to our website and:

Cannabis treatments are not for everyone. Like any chronic pain medication and treatment, everyone reacts differently. Our Online Pre-Screeningis designed to help us better understand your condition and determine whether or not medical cannabis is an appropriate treatment for you.

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