It is a sad fact that chronic pain affects one in four people in the UK today. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos of over 4,000 adults aged between 16 to 75, one-quarter of people in the UK live with some form of chronic pain symptoms.
Chronic pain is an often misunderstood health condition because it can be well hidden and isn’t an obvious physical problem like a broken leg with a plaster cast. Like most other invisible illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic pain can leave people suffering without the support they need to lead a normal life.
But what exactly is chronic pain, and how do I know I have it? Chronic pain is defined as physical pain felt in the body that lasts longer than three months. If you have developed pain symptoms that don’t seem to be subsiding or have lingered longer than three months, it is worth checking out to find the cause with your doctor.
What causes chronic pain?
The main problem with chronic pain is that there is no single cause for it that you can put your thumb on. The condition can be caused by a wide variety of problems, such as suffering an injury such as a slipped disc, recovering from a viral infection, undergoing cancer treatment, or having no apparent cause whatsoever.
What is known is that people who develop chronic pain should never ignore their symptoms as they tend to get worse over time and can negatively affect your everyday life, including your work and family relationships.
Medical experts believe that the nervous system becomes overwhelmed and overreacts to become more protective, which results in the nerve signals contributing to the pain being felt. Chronic pain can be hard to diagnose, and some people find it difficult to prove to others how intensely they feel pain.
This is why it makes sense to see a chronic pain specialist and get a proper diagnosis if their pain symptoms have been ongoing for more than three months or have intensified over that time.
Chronic pain diagnosis and treatment
Chronic pain specialists such as Dr Bhadauria believe that patients need a more effective approach tailored to their individual needs. This includes more options to help patients cope with what otherwise can be a life-changing health condition.
Millions of people in the UK are unnecessarily suffering from chronic pain and struggle to cope with symptoms using over the counter pain killers, which cannot treat such a complex health condition.
People experiencing pain for over three months with no clear explanation or cause can also find it frustrating to go through the NHS, which is currently an under-pressure health service with long waiting times and no chance of building up a trusting relationship with a single health care provider.
Instead of struggling to cope with your chronic pain, you can book a private consultation with Dr Bhadauria. He is a leading chronic pain specialist in London and uses a combined treatment approach for chronic pain patients, including:
- Appropriate pain medications
- Diet advice
- Exercise recommendations
- Physical therapies
- Physiotherapy
- Psychological therapies
Dr Bhadauria believes that pain medication can often be the only option offered to chronic pain patients instead of part of the solution. If you want to get a proper diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan for your chronic pain symptoms, do not hesitate to book a consultation today.
