EXCLUSIVE How to beat pain for good: the cutting-edge science, the expert medical views...
and the surprising therapies that could work for you, revealed by top doctors By CHARLOTTE DOVEY Published: 01:28, 16 November 2024 | Updated: 01:35, 16 November 2024 e-mail View comments Everyone experiences pain from time to time – but while for most of us the discomfort of an injury, for instance, will pass as it heals, many people can endure months or even years of it – known as chronic pain. This can take a huge toll on their work, relationships and social lives. And the number of people affected is only likely to grow – we're living longer so are more likely to experience chronic diseases associated with pain.
Sometimes there may be no obvious physical cause. 'Whilst chronic pain [defined as lasting more than three months] can be as a result of medical conditions such as arthritis, cancer or diabetes , in many cases the cause is not obvious despite multiple investigations,' says Dr Alan Fayaz, a consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine and chair of the Communications Committee at The British Pain Society. Another problem is that pain is subjective, which can make it hard to assess.
Understanding what drives chronic pain is clearly key to effective treatment and improving patients' quality of life. With chronic pain, in some cases the cause may have been treated but the pain continues or seems disproportionate Why it's still painful Pain is essential to our survival – an.