{"id":768,"date":"2015-06-15T21:25:09","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T02:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/painstopshere1.wordpress.com\/?p=203"},"modified":"2022-02-08T14:08:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T20:08:58","slug":"mental-effects-of-long-term-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/painendshere.com\/es\/blog\/mental-effects-of-long-term-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Efectos mentales del dolor a largo plazo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Most people are aware of the superficial effects of chronic pain<\/span>\u2014<\/span>including the pain itself. The\u00a0<\/span>focus is often on temporarily subduing the pain so that one may continue with some activities, at\u00a0<\/span>least long enough to get through a day. What is little known, though, are the serious mental effects<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>that are associated with chronic pain. \u00a0Untreated or under-treated long-term pain can cause changes\u00a0<\/span>to the brain that can affect some cognitive abilities and cause behavioral changes. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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How Does Chronic Pain Change the Brain?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To put it simply, long-term pain changes the way that the brain works. \u00a0Some researchers have\u00a0<\/span>found that in cases where chronic pain lasts more than a decade or multiple decades, the excessive\u00a0<\/span>brain activity that is associated with it can cause a decrease in gray matter. \u00a0Gray matter is one of\u00a0<\/span>the two types of tissues that compose the brain. \u00a0The constant firing of neurons and activity of the\u00a0<\/span>nerves creates excessive use that can cause them to die prematurely, leading to other issues. <\/span>The constant nerve activity associated with long-term pain can also cause nerves involved in\u00a0<\/span>communication to rewire. This rewiring is often quite convoluted, and this complicated change\u00a0<\/span>can cause issues in the parts of the brain responsible for emotional reactions, leading to behavioral\u00a0<\/span>changes.<\/span><\/div>\n
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What Happens If Those Changes Occur?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
The changes in the brain described above can lead to negative effects on lifestyle and behavior,\u00a0<\/span>including inability to sleep, anxiety and depression. <\/span>The area of the brain that is responsible for sleep and wake cycles can atrophy from years of\u00a0<\/span>chronic pain. This atrophy is, again, a result of the wear and tear on the brain that is caused by the\u00a0<\/span>excessive use of the nerves that is associated with long-term pain. Changes to this area of the brain\u00a0<\/span>can not only cause problems with the ability to fall and stay asleep but also with one\u2019s level of\u00a0<\/span>alertness.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Research has shown that patients who suffer from long-term pain have reduced activity in the area\u00a0<\/span>of the brain that controls pain responses. These patients can have an increased level of anticipatory\u00a0<\/span>focus on pain, which leads to an increased level of anxiety<\/a>.<\/span>Thirty to 60 percent of chronic pain patients also develop depression. The reduced pain control\u00a0<\/span>and increased level of complexity of brain wiring that can be caused by chronic pain can lead to\u00a0<\/span>increased emotional reaction to anticipated and future discomfort. Those who suffer with chronic\u00a0<\/span>pain are left with a sense of hopelessness when they are forced to wonder whether or not the pain\u00a0<\/span>will persist into the next day, week, month, etc. and thus develop depression related to their pain.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Stanford University\u00a0<\/span>School of Medicine\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Study<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Stanford University School of Medicine conducted a study on mice that experience chronic\u00a0<\/span>paw pain due either to inflammation or nerve damage. Throughout the study, they were prompted\u00a0<\/span>to complete increasing amounts of work (measured\u00a0<\/span>in \u201cnose taps\u201d) to receive food.\u00a0<\/span>When compared with the control group of mice who were not suffering from the chronic pain, the\u00a0<\/span>pain-suffering mice would eat just as much as the control group. However, when the mice with\u00a0<\/span>the paw pain had to do increasingly more amounts of work to receive their food, they were less\u00a0<\/a><\/span>likely to work for it<\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This prompted the researches to examine the different areas of the brain, and their studies show\u00a0<\/span>that there occurs a set of changes in key parts of the brain that may explain how chronic pain has\u00a0<\/span>the capacity to stifle one\u2019s motivation.<\/span>The nucleus accumbens (brain structures involved in computing behavioral strategies that prompts\u00a0<\/span>the survival skills of seeking or avoiding certain things) can permanently change some connections\u00a0<\/span>to this structure and cause a downshift in the motivation that they cause. Therefore, over time,\u00a0<\/span>long-term pain\u00a0<\/span>can change the brain\u2019s chemistry and stifle the motivation of those who suffer from\u00a0<\/span>the pain.<\/div>\n
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What Can One Do to Avoid or Reverse These Changes?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
It is important for anyone suffering from chronic pain to consult with a physician who can best\u00a0<\/span>advise any lifestyle changes or medicinal solutions to chronic pain.\u00a0<\/span>Research presented at an annual meeting of the American Pain Society shows that those who do\u00a0<\/span>yoga (\u201cyogis\u201d) have more gray matter in multiple areas of the brain, including that region which\u00a0<\/span>is responsible for pain modulation.\u00a0<\/span>Gray matter contains copious cells, but it can be decreased by chronic pain. Its size has been\u00a0<\/span>shown to correlate with pain tolerance; so, when its size is reduced, individuals are more likely to\u00a0<\/span>experience memory impairment, emotional issues, and a decrease in cognitive function.\u00a0<\/span>Practicing yoga, however, has been shown to increase gray matter, thus effectively reversing the\u00a0<\/span>effects of long-term pain and potentially increasing the quality of life for chronic pain sufferers.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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You don’t have to suffer for the rest of your life. Let the Dallas Pain Relief Center<\/a> help you manage your chronic pain. Call us today to schedule an appointment.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n