Chronic Pain Overview

Pain is by definition, an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Chronic Pain is any pain that lasts longer than the expected healing time and continues despite outward signs of injury. Anywhere 3 to 12 months post injury can be considered the transition point from acute to chronic pain. Chronic pain can be present in any part of the body and can have negative effects on physical functioning, the ability to work, personal relationships, sleep, mood and overall well-being. Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that effects over 116 million Americans and costs over $635 billion a year in treatment and loss of productivity in the work place annually. Common chronic pain ailments include back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome]3], tendinitis, arthritis, [headaches and joint pain but is not limited to any specific area on the body or magnitude of pain level. Neuropathic pain is a neurological reaction that causes pain that is unrelated to any peripheral injury.

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WebMD. “Pain Management Health Center,” WebMD, July 7th, 2011, http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-management-overview-facts.

Wikipedia. “Chronic Pain,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, June 13th, 2011,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_pain.