Every September, we observe Pain Awareness Month, a time to focus on the millions of Americans living with chronic pain. In 2023, 24.3% of adults had chronic pain, which means nearly one in four Americans deals with pain that lasts three months or longer.
Pain is a very important part of our body’s warning system. Its job is to protect you from harm. “The whole purpose is to protect our physical body from damage,” explains Dr. Stewart Decker, clinical wellness officer and medical director at the Sky Lakes Wellness Center. “Think of it like a fire alarm — it tells you to stop doing what you’re doing before you get hurt.”
Understanding Chronic Pain
Chronic (long-lasting) pain is different from acute pain (like when you stub your toe). When you live with pain for a long time, your body’s alarm system can get a little overeager. That’s because your brain learns to be more sensitive to pain signals, even when there’s no new injury. Dr. Decker calls this neuroplastic pain.
“Every single person who has chronic pain is probably also dealing with neuroplastic pain,” Dr. Decker notes. “Their body is just learning to be more sensitive. It’s trying to be protective, but it ends up being miserable.”
Keep Moving
When you have chronic pain, you might feel trapped. You’re afraid to move because it hurts, but not moving can actually make the pain worse. Dr. Decker says that part of managing chronic pain is helping your brain learn that it’s safe to move again.
One way to do this is with gentle exercise. As Dr. Decker’s favorite orthopedic surgeon puts it, “Motion is lotion.” Movement helps your joints and muscles work better, and it can change how your body and brain react to pain. This doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon. Start with simple activities like short walks, gentle yoga, or swimming. The goal is to prove to your body that you can move without causing damage.
The Power of Sleep
You might not think about sleep as a pain treatment, but it is one of the most important things you can do. Sleep is when your body repairs itself. “If you’re just not getting good deep sleep, then you’re not repairing your body well,” Dr. Decker explains.
Even if you think you’re getting enough sleep, you might not be. Poor sleep, whether it’s from pain, a condition like sleep apnea, or just a bad routine, can make chronic pain much worse.
To improve your sleep, you can keep your room cool (about 65° is ideal), take a hot shower before bed, make sure you exercise during the day, and use an eye mask and earplugs.
A Holistic Approach to Relief
When you’re dealing with pain, it’s best to look at the whole picture. Dr. Decker emphasizes that a good plan for chronic pain isn’t just about one thing; it’s about using many tools together. He mentions a wide range of options, from physical therapy and injections to mind/body techniques like meditation and mindfulness.
“We can improve [your] overall suffering even if we can’t make [your] pain go away,” he says. By focusing on your overall well-being and finding ways to do the things you love, you can live a fuller life, even with pain.
