Chronic or persistent pain

Article written by Osteopath Anna Blackwall

I have worked as an osteopath since 2012 and have always been fascinated by persistent pain. Why was I able to treat some people once or twice and their pain would resolve, but with others it would persist or recur?

It was during my first pregnancy that I fully understood what persistent pain was. I had pelvic girdle pain (PGP) throughout my pregnancy which continued until my son was over two.

I had various treatments from practitioners that I know are extremely skilled and highly trained. It helped me to move more comfortably but for me the pain didn’t resolve. This took me on a journey to discover what chronic pain is and what we can do about it!

Here are some chronic pain facts:

⚡️Chronic or persistent pain is pain that lasts longer than about 12 weeks
🤕 Normal tissue healing time is approximately 3 months – after this it is unlikely to be injured tissues causing the pain
🧠 All pain is made in the brain!
🤷‍♀️ Pain can start with or without actual tissue damage or trauma
😕 Chronic pain can be constant pain or recurring episodes of pain
🧐 All sorts of things influence pain, including beliefs, emotions, lifestyle and sleep!
😖 Pain does not mean something is damaged, it is whether the brain interprets something as dangerous
🤝 The good news is that understanding why you have pain can make a huge difference 😊

For more information or advice on chronic or persistant pain, call us on 01677 425858 for a confidential chat.