How Chronic Pain Affects Your Overall Health

Chronic pain can be a big impediment to improving your health. Dr. Hui Kang is one of the best pain specialists in Houston.

Pain is a natural sensation and should not be avoided when it happens occasionally.  It is when it does not stop that it becomes a serious problem.

Chronic pain issues have a far-reaching effect on our health other than the condition causing the pain. Underlying conditions because chronic pain includes fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and osteoarthritis.

Chronic pain affects different parts of the body including neck, back, and knee and affects your health in the following ways:

Lack of Exercise

It is very difficult to exercise if you have chronic pain and in some cases, it may be impossible. The more acute the pain, the harder it is to exercise.

The benefits of exercise for our health has received enough attention. When we don’t exercise due to chronic pain, our health suffers.

Your muscles and connective tissue cannot become strong and alleviate the pain as it should. Lack of exercise affects our metabolism which affects the way in which our body absorbs and uses the food we eat.

Sleep

One of the most vital elements of health is sleep. If you get enough sleep of adequate quality, your health will be great and vice versa is also true.

The body restores itself when you sleep so all damage can be repaired including that which causes your chronic pain. If you do not get enough quality sleep, the pain you feel will increase causing you to sleep even less which leads to a very negative cycle.

Sleep is also important for the health of your brain. The good news is that there are agents you can use to fall asleep which leads to the next point.

Medication

The primary relief option for people with chronic pain is medication. It is getting increasingly easier to get pain medication over the counter. When such people cannot sleep due to chronic pain, they will use sleeping pills.

These medicines usually have adverse side effects that negatively impact our health. The side effects are usually on the label but when you are suffering from acute pain, who has the time to read them, right?

Therefore, chronic pain can damage your health if you use medicine for prolonged periods, as a pain reliever. You should look for other alternatives that do not ruin your health.

Mental Health

Mental health is a crucial facet of overall health. The saying is, “where the mind goes the body follows” and if the mind is sick, the body will certainly follow.

People with chronic pain issues have been found to be at a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and even guilt. These mental health disorders can have devastating consequences if not treated early.

Chronic pain will impede you from participating in social activities that are beneficial to mental health. Restrictions from other activities such as sports, dancing, and other forms of play also affect your mental health.