Information on Chronic Pain Syndrome

Chronic pain is a long-term pain invoking regularly or inhibitedly, but does not serve the purpose of saving the body from injury. This pain keeps on impinging the nervous system for weeks or months or years, and is more severe than acute pain. However drug treatments which are for longer periods leads to addiction. Pain is, usually, experienced when stimulation occurs in skin, bones, or other tissues by certain injury or threat to the body. Neuropathic pain is stimulated by alterations in the nerves, or changes in the brain or peripheral tissues. Chronic pain persists. This pain usually occurs due to some initial mishap but some people do suffer from it without any prior injury or damage.

Symptoms of Chronic Pain Syndrome

1. Headache
2. Low back pain
3. Cancer pain
4. Arthritis pain
5. Ear pain
6. Neurogenic pain (due to damage to the peripheral nerves or to CNS)
7. Psychogenic pain (not due to past disease or injury or damage of any part of nervous system).

Causes of Chronic Pain Syndrome

Main reasons of the CHRONIC PAIN is due to the bombardment of the Central Nervous System (CNS) with certain impulses, which modifies the neural response. This pain affects the patient's behavior, developing fear-avoidance strategies. The patient may get physically atrophied.
However, chronic pain can result from other factors too, affecting physical and psychosocial factors.

Diagnosis of Chronic Pain Syndrome

The intensity of pain cannot be measured on any particular scale or through any of the instruments. However patient's description is the best way to determine the cause and to diagnose the symptoms.

1. Pain History - Description  of the intensity of pain by the patient as Sharp, Dull, Constant, Periodic, Acute, or Burning
2. Electrodiagnostic
   1. Electromyography (EMG) - to identify which muscle are weak or pain afflicted
   2. Nerve conduction studies - to determine nerve damage
   3. Evoked Potential (EP) studies - to determine speed of nerve signal transmission
3. Imaging
   1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - gives pictures of the body's structures and tissues and differentiates between healthy and diseased tissue.
4. Neurological Examination
   1. Test for movement, reflexes, sensation, balance, and coordination.

Treatment of Chronic Pain Syndrome

1. Medications
2. Acupuncture
3. Local electrical stimulation
4. Brain stimulation
5. Surgery
6. Use of placebos - for lessening or elimination of pain
7. Psychotherapy
8. Relaxation and medication therapies
9. Biofeedback
10. Behavior modification