| Sometimes, chronic pain is the sign of a bigger | | | | “wires” the brain to feel pain in that given |
| problem inside the body. It can be caused by | | | | area. The neurological stimuli may or may not |
| damage to any number of areas of the body. | | | | actually be registered by the body, but if the |
| One common example is the anterior cruciate | | | | person acknowledges the pain as being there, CPS |
| ligament (ACL) which is frequently damaged by | | | | is reinforced. In theory, if the person |
| participants in contact sports. Chronic pain can | | | | acknowledges the pain despite the lack of actual |
| may also occur if a broken bone has healed but | | | | physical stimulation, then this “behavior” is |
| has not healed properly. For the elderly, things like | | | | continued indefinitely by the brain and body. It is |
| arthritis can be a source of chronic pain. However, | | | | worth noting that pain caused by this condition |
| these examples all have a physical cause in | | | | does not manifest any visible physical signs, and |
| common. There are rare cases when individuals | | | | often only causes a general feeling of pain rather |
| will develop chronic pain for no physical reason. | | | | than more specific sensations. However, the fact |
| This mental health condition is often referred to | | | | that the cause is unknown and the only consistent |
| as chronic pain syndrome. | | | | symptom is the pain itself has made it |
| Chronic pain syndrome or CPS is a mental health | | | | exceedingly difficult to pin down any one area to |
| condition that causes the body to feel pain that is | | | | focus research on. |
| genuinely caused by neurological impulses. To put | | | | Treatment has also proven to be a challenge to |
| it in basic terms, the body is being fooled into | | | | pin down. Conventional pain killers are typically not |
| feeling pain by the mind. However, pain is not the | | | | advised, as they may have pronounced side |
| only effect that this particular condition has on the | | | | effects due to the absence of any actual pain. |
| body. This problem has a few known side effects, | | | | Counseling and therapy have proven ineffective in |
| with some of them being psychological in nature. | | | | most cases. They are able to help alleviate the |
| One of the premier side effects is a change in | | | | more mental side effects of CPS, but no |
| lifestyle caused by the pain, as well as increased | | | | concrete evidence has surfaced that these |
| irritability and longer periods of anger. Anxiety and | | | | methods are capable of alleviating the physical |
| depression are also typical side effects associated | | | | pain or removing the cause of the said pain. |
| with the syndrome by patients and medical | | | | At the moment, it is highly difficult to diagnose |
| professionals alike. The problem with diagnosing or | | | | and treat CPS, mainly because of the nature of |
| treating CPS is that it is very difficult to | | | | the problem. Some doctors may dismiss |
| concretely define and it has proven to be | | | | complaints of pain from people who don't have |
| unresponsive to conventional methods of | | | | any indication of a physical cause for pain, which |
| treatment. | | | | can leave the problem untreated for prolonged |
| Medical science has yet to define a concrete | | | | periods. Some people may also resort to |
| cause for CPS, though there are several theories. | | | | self-medication, which may only worsen the pain |
| Some suggest that CPS develops after a | | | | or cause other side effects. |
| particularly painful experience essentially | | | | |