Understanding Persistent and Complex Pain

Oregon has initiated a massive effort to help healthcare providers help their patients reduce pain and reduce opioid and other painkiller addiction. I've pulled together some resources for clients who have some continuing pain despite "successful" treatment. Sleep, diet, emotions, exercise, stress and more all effect the amount of pain people experience, in fact whether pain is experienced at all.

The research shows there is only a modest connection between tissue dysfunction and the amount of pain. Many people have tissue dysfunction and no pain. Others have minimal tissue dysfunction and disabling levels of pain. The brain is a the key moderator to pain and it can be supported to sense less pain. That doesn't main the pain is not real, after all pain is in essence sensation. If you feel the pain, the pain is absolutely real. It's just that in some cases the pain is disporportionate to the threat. Perhaps there is no more threat at all to the body's systems and the pain is still firing anyway.

Here are some resources to study if you have persistent pain:

• Oregon Pain Guidance provides patients with a comprehensive toolkit for pain reduction.
  
• Providence created this video to educate patients on pain.