Types of Chronic Pain
Pain is common-place. It can occur as we age, because we do too much or when we hurt ourselves.
We can however suffer pain as a result of someone else’s negligence e.g. following a car accident (often referred to as an RTA, RTC or MVTA) or an accident at work.
An injury might be a soft tissue injury to a tendon, ligament or nerve. You might have a broken bone or have “slipped a disc” where you have a disc bulge or prolapsed disc.
As experts in serious injury we have helped people with all sorts of pain: spinal pain (back pain, neck pain, cervicalgia, sciatica, thoracic pain, coccydynia etc); muscle pain; ligament pain; musculo-skeletal pain; mechanical pain; neuropathic pain; limb pain; brachialgia; phantom limb pain and referred pain – to name but a few!
Our clients have used probably hundreds of different words to describe their chronic pain: intrusive pain; excruciating pain; nuisance pain; gnawing pain; burning pain; tooth-ache pain; sharp pain; shooting pain and so on. Pain is subjective – we all feel it in different ways and to different degrees.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Infrequently an injured person may develop Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS (of which there are two types CRPS I and CRPS II). Historically CRPS had other names such as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (or RSD) and causalgia.
CRPS can occur following an accident and usually only affects the injured body part (typically one limb) but it can spread. Diagnosis is by reference to signs and symptoms described in the Budapest Criteria.
Neuropathic pain or Neuralgia may occur after physical injury. It is a complex condition caused by damage to nerves which affects the signals from those damaged nerves. Symptoms may include hypersensitivity to touch, severe pain, ‘pins and needles’ and electric shock sensations.
Fibromyalgia (FM or FMS)
Fibromyalgia often causes chronic muscular pain, unrefreshing sleep and fatigue, memory problems known as ‘fog’, IBS and other symptoms. Post-Traumatic Fibromyalgia may develop following a physical trauma such as an accident.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS)
Myofascial pain typically occurs after a muscle has been contracted repetitively in jobs, hobbies or even by stress-related muscle tension. Pressure on sensitive points in your muscles (trigger points) causes pain in seemingly unrelated parts of your body, known as ‘referred pain’.
Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)
Psychiatric problems are regularly experienced by those with medical problems and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently DSM V (or DSM 5), reflects the current understanding that mental and physical health are often inter-twined.
A SSD may be suffered as a consequence of an accident or injury.
Somatic symptoms may be distressing and can interfere with the ability to function. Excessive and disproportionate thoughts, feelings and actions can accompany somatic symptoms. When somatic symptoms are persistent, lasting many months, a diagnosis of SSD might be considered. Treatment for somatic symptoms may take place in association with that for other diagnosed conditions.
Other pain Conditions
Above are just a few of the chronic pain conditions suffered by our clients.
If you would like to discuss other pain conditions or your claim with one of our experts please submit our enquiry form or telephone us.