Shedding Light on Chronic Pain: 6 Things Everyone Should Know About Living With Chronic Pain by Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP

We all feel pain, but some people struggle with it more than others. Acute pain is the pain you feel when you suffer an injury, and it’s immediate and proportional to the cause. Chronic pain is different – it’s when the body sends pain signals to the brain long after an injury heals. 

Most people who don’t suffer from chronic pain don’t fully understand the pervasiveness of the condition, and that leads to dangerous stigmas. Here’s what everyone should know: 

• Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.

• One in five adults have chronic pain.

• Nearly one in five children experience chronic headache pain.
  

• Eight out of 10 people with chronic pain are depressed.

• About 20 million people have pain so severe it limits work and life activities.

• The goal of pain management is to improve daily function so that people can work, go to school and participate in regular activities. 

There is no test to pinpoint chronic pain, and frequently, there is no cure. But chronic pain is real and can be catastrophic to the people who suffer from it. If you experience chronic pain, seek help, and if you know someone who struggles, show empathy! To learn more visit WeChooseNPs.org.

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