New research has shockingly revealed that people with low incomes have twice the risk of developing chronic pain after a physical injury. Researchers also found that people who had a combination of factors, such as smoking, poor social support networks, and low education level or income, had up to a seven-fold increased risk of developing chronic pain after an injury.

Chronic pain is pain that lasts more than three months after the initial physical injury, while pain experienced within the first three months is considered 'acute'. People with chronic pain often have a reduced quality of life and are at higher risk of developing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Controlling Chronic Pain

Researchers say that current methods of controlling chronic pain focus on physical rehabilitation of the site of pain or injury, while the body taking more than three months to recover indicates that The reasons behind long-lasting pain are more complex. The study's lead author, Michael Dunn of the University of Birmingham, UK, said that acute pain is aimed at changing behavior to protect the body from harm, but chronic pain persists due to the sensory nervous system being disrupted long after the (initial) healing process is complete. Even after this, one continues to experience pain.

Pain Treatment

Researchers have found that treatment focused only on the injured part of the body is often ineffective, as psychological and social factors must also be taken into account for treatment to be effective. The team found that the factors influencing the development of chronic pain were less related to the type of injury, but more to the experiences of pain.

What experts say

Dunn said that therefore, treatment of people with musculoskeletal injuries should take a person-centred approach, focusing on comprehensive organic, psychosocial, and social well-being. Simply put, current healthcare approaches do not address all the reasons people do not get better. Researchers also identified personal factors such as low job satisfaction, stress, and depression as factors for developing chronic pain.

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