Can Chronic Pain Increase Your Risk Of Dealth?

Pain is an uncomfortable, unpleasant physical feeling. It usually happens when you have an injury or illness. Chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain and is generally somewhat resistant to medical treatment. It's usually associated with a long-term illness, such as osteoarthritis. Pain can be debilitating, and both can affect and be affected by a person's state of mind. According to recent research, pain that interferes with your daily life, rather than pain per se can take years away from your life.

Researchers found that individuals who were often troubled with pain had a 29% increased risk of dying during the study, and those who reported "quite a bit" and "extreme" pain interference had 38% and 88% increased risks, respectively. Report of any pain or having widespread pain was not associated with an increased risk of mortality.

The study was drawn from two large population cohorts of adults aged 50 years; the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, with 6324 participants, and the North Staffordshire Osteoarthritis Project, with 10,985 participants.

"There is much debate about whether people with persistent pain die prematurely and why this might happen. Our study sheds light by showing that it is not the pain itself that increases the risk of death but the amount of disruption of everyday living linked to having long-term pain," said co-author Ross Wilkie.

"The implication is that society must find ways to help people with long-term pain to live life to the full at work, at home, and in the community," he added.

However, additional studies are needed to determine the mechanisms through which disabling pain may increase the risk of premature death. The study appears in journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Here are some tips to manage chronic pain:
 

1. Techniques like deep breathing and meditation help your body relax, which may ease pain. Tension and tightness seep from muscles as they receive a quiet message to relax.

2. Endorphins are brain chemicals that help improve your mood while blocking pain signals. Exercise has pain-reducing effect as it strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain.

3. Take control of stress and negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger as these can increase the body's sensitivity to pain. This may give some relief from chronic pain.

4. Pain makes sleep difficult, and alcohol can make sleep problems worse. If you're living with chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol can improve your quality of life. Also eat a healthy diet.

5. Do no smoke as it can worsen painful circulation problems and increase risk of heart disease and cancer.

6. Get a massage for chronic pain relief. Massage can help reduce stress and relieve tension. It is used by people living with all sorts of chronic pain, including back and neck pain.

7. When you focus on pain, it makes it worse rather than better. Instead, find something you like doing - an activity that keeps you busy and thinking about things besides your pain. This can help you take control of your life.

Inputs by ANI