- Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians aged 45+ suffer from chronic pain?
- More than 68% of Australians living with chronic pain are working age.
- Lower Back pain has been the leading cause of disabilities since 2017.
- Chronic pain in Australians is estimated to increase from 3.24 million (2018) to 5.23 million by 2050.
- Overuse of legal prescription opioids and anti-inflammatories has become a crisis in Australia and around the world.
- Australia has the second highest rate of daily opioid prescription after the USA.
Research shows that people with chronic pain stay in hospital longer and experience more limitations in their everyday activities and are more likely to have other long-term health conditions.
What is chronic pain?
The definition of chronic pain is a constant daily pain experience for more than 3 months within the last 6-month period. It can correlate with another condition, like cancer, diabetes, endometriosis etc. or occur after an acute injury or trauma.
The evidence for chronic pain is always changing. Current research shows that pain that persists after the time it takes for the tissues to heal is due to nervous system changes.
Chronic pain comes in many forms, such as chronic neck pain, back pain, pelvic pain, nerve pain, fibromyalgia pain, chronic headaches and many more.
Chronic pain management
This should be specific to the individual, so it’s important you seek help from your health professional to find the right management plan for you. After you visit your doctor you may find they recommend various avenues to support with the pain.
Some common strategies we would recommend include:
- Musculoskeletal Therapy, Connective Tissue Therapy, Massage, Chakra-Puncture
- Physical movement and Medical Training Therapy with an exercise physiologist, physiotherapist, etc.
- Natural Medicine and Psycho-Neuro-Immunology
- Natural anti-inflammatory and pain medication
- Psychological support
- Counselling, meditation, relaxation strategies
For more info see: https://total-health.com.au/services/pain-management
