Pain is the body’s way of signalling that there is some type of injury to the body, and is the number one reason why people seek out medical attention.
Pain is usually accompanied by other symptoms of inflammation – heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, as the body responds to injury.
Pain may be described as acute or chronic.
Acute pain is short lived and generally subsides when the injury heals.
Chronic pain generally lasts or recurs for more than three months and may continue after an acute injury has healed.
Chronic pain usually serves no useful purpose in the body and may lead to other health problems such as disturbed sleep and depression. Examples of chronic pain include:
• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic headaches.
Chronic pain can lead to changes in the nervous system that make the body more sensitive to pain.
