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Does Trauma result to Chronic Pain?
Does Trauma result to Chronic Pain?
Posted August 2, 2021 by admin
Available research indicates that while trauma may not directly result into chronic pain, but it surely does make people more vulnerable to developing chronic pain during their lifetime. Many studies that link chronic pain to trauma state that up to 90% of women with fibromyalgia and up to 60% of patients with arthritis, report trauma at some stage in their lives 1. As a point of comparison, people with chronic pain typically have at least double the rate of previous trauma as compared to the general population. The US Department of Veterans Affairs states that 15-35% of patients with chronic pain also have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 2.
What is Trauma?
Trauma could be defined as, “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.” 3
Trauma does not discriminate….it could happen to anyone in any part of the world.
Common traumatic events include:
- An accident or medical trauma
- Sexual or physical abuse
- Being in a combat situation
- A natural disaster
Link between ’emotional’ and ‘physical’ well-being
Mind and body can influence each other in many ways. Stress and pain create a vicious cycle, perpetuating one another. There are number of ways stress could worsen pain, which includes causing tense muscles and increasing inflammation. Trauma and unresolved emotional issues cause stress, that greatly amplifies the pain and stress cycle.
Any traumatic experience that takes its toll on us emotionally, could also have physical effects immediately or later on in life. Chronic pain is not just ‘all in our head’ as stigma so often dictates. It’s just as valid as acute pain or any other physical health condition. 4
Some common trauma symptoms that influence chronic pain are:
An overactive nervous system, which means that the nervous system is in a continued state of stress and persistent stimulation. The exact same thing is observed in cases of chronic pain. Both chronic pain and trauma, cause an overly active nervous system, which establishes a strong link between both experiences.
Patients who have had traumatic experiences in their lifetime often have difficulty in getting restful sleep. This is often caused due to re-experiencing or re-living the traumatic experience. Chronic pain patients also struggle with the same difficulty of non-restorative sleep. Lack of restful sleep can worsen chronic pain symptoms and make it that much harder for patients to cope effectively.
chronic pain condition – trouble falling, staying asleep, delayed healing of pain condition, more chronic pain, more difficulty sleeping
In a prolonged state of stress or pain, your adrenal system produces a higher volume of stress hormones than it is naturally designed to. These hormones include cortisol and adrenaline. Just like anything else that gets worn out through overuse, your adrenal glands can become exhausted too. This can happen with both chronic pain and chronic stress. Excessive or prolonged secretion of cortisol makes it maladaptive and has crippling effects, both physically and emotionally. It does the opposite of what it’s meant to do, thus causing inflammation, and worsening of stress and fear response.
Depression and anxiety are a result of trauma and a symptom of chronic pain. Patients tend not to proactively manage pain and practice self-care when they’re in a negative state of mind. A study explains that depressive symptoms could lead to increased level of pain, and greatly impair normal function. Increased level of anxiety leads to fear avoidance behavior in chronic pain patients. Fear avoidance means, that pain patients avoid activity for fear of worsening their pain. Withdrawal from activity could cause the body to become deconditioned, leading to loss of fitness.
Conclusion
A multidisciplinary approach to treat both trauma and chronic pain, using cognitive behavioral therapy, pain management, nutritional support, and mindfulness, could bring highly effective outcomes for patients, giving them relief from both physical and mental symptoms.
References:
1. https://www.instituteforchronicpain.org/understanding-chronic-pain/complications/trauma
2. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/chronic_pain.asp
3. https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/integrated-health-coe/
4. https://www.pathways.health/the-stress-chronic-pain-cycle-and-how-to-break-it/
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