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The Harmful Effects of Unrelieved Pain | Pain Therapy
The Harmful Effects of Unrelieved Pain | Pain Therapy
“No pain, No gain.” They say.
But what happens when pain is all you’re feeling and not gaining anything? Such is the case with chronic and acute pain, especially chronic pain. Chronic pain includes headaches (migraines), back pain, neck pain, arthritis, etc. It is as persistent as a mosquito can last for months to years and occurs on any part of the body.
Acute pain is sudden and sharp but lasts for a few months. This is the pain you feel from injuries, cuts, and bruises. Acute pain is typically associated with surgery.
Herein, we discuss the harmful effects of unrelieved pain. There are many types of pain besides acute and chronic pain, such as neuropathic and radicular. But no matter the type, they all take a toll on patients and their family’s physical and mental well-being if left untreated or overall undertreated.
Unrelieved Pain Leads to More Pain
Continuous pain puts a lot of stress on the body. The body’s normal operations are disrupted, and as a result, other physical complications arise.
When you’re in pain for a prolonged period, your immune system is restrained by over-activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). The HPA produces cortisol, the stress hormone. And thus, a dangerous loop is formed.
This loop affects the renal, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems. Complications of these systems can lead to more pain from conditions like ileus, kidney infection, and ischemia.
Not As Strong as You Used to Be
Unrelieved pain weakens the body through stress, inflammation, sleep deprivation, and poor diet. A combination of these factors coupled with the anguish of intense pain leads to fatigue. Then there’s the fear of making things worse. Pain patients are less active due to the fear that physical activity may crank up the pain level.
As a result, your mobility is affected; you can’t perform your duties, work, play or engage in any physical activity. Reduced mobility can also lead to more health complications such as pulmonary embolus, pneumonia, pressure ulcers, loss of muscle strength, etc.
Reduced Libido and Sexual Dysfunction
Unrelieved pain kills sexual appetite as you’re less likely to get in the mood with a throbbing headache or neck pain. It can be nigh impossible to get in place of certain sex positions that my pull on a tendon to gain muscle.
Reduced sex drive eventually leads to low libido or testosterone, which leads to more complications. Low libido can cause erectile dysfunction and loss of muscle mass and core strength.
Psychological Effects on Patients and Family
Continuous untreated pain heavily impacts patients’ mental well-being and fitness, leading to anxiety disorders and depression. As mentioned above, pain leads to the release of cortisol; the stress hormone exacerbates the feelings of uselessness, hopelessness, and helplessness. As a result, pain patients can get trapped in a depressed state with ruminating anxious thoughts, also called pain catastrophizing.
Seeing their loved one in such a state also affects the mental health of family members as a sense of hopelessness starts to creep in. These problems can be made worse in cases where the patient has experienced unsuccessful or inadequate pain management and treatment.
Bottom line
Hopefully, this piece has helped you understand the dangers of letting pain grow. If you have problems with pain, visit our clinic and get treated by qualified specialists.
Learn more today at Pain Therapy Associates
3200 W Higgins Suite 101, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
847-352-5511
847-352-5585 (fax)
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