Pervasive health issue is meeting a new era of pain science and research
An estimated one in four Americans suffers from chronic pain. For one in 10 of those sufferers, their pain is so intense, it impacts their ability to work or take part in other life activities, leaving them feeling isolated, anxious or depressed. It is also a health issue so challenging to manage, many are prone to substance use disorders.
In response, a pair of researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are part of a movement focused on rethinking the problem and its treatment approach. The two scientists believe there is an overlooked part in managing chronic pain: the brain itself.
"We don't want people to spend years - or decades - in pain," said Yoni Ashar, PhD, assistant professor of internal medicine and co-director of the Pain Science Program at the CU School of Medicine. "The more people believe that they're stuck in their symptoms, the less motivated they will be to engage in any kind of active treatment. We need to change that paradigm."
Pain specialists are making great strides in diagnosing and working with patients, said Joseph Frank, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine and co-director of the Pain Science Program.
"What's exciting for me as a physician in this field is that there have been important advances in how we begin to more precisely diagnose the cause of a person's pain symptoms. We're also learning how we communicate that to them so they better understand why they hurt," said Frank, who also works at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center-Denver as part of its Chronic Pain and Wellness Center.
In the following Q&A, Ashar and Frank discuss how we define chronic pain, how it can grow into other conditions and whether chronic pain can exacerbate substance use disorders.
