The Mesothelioma SOS Glossary - Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than the normal course of time associated with a particular injury. In other words, pain is a defense mechanism of the body, used to prevent injury. If the pain is chronic, it is not working to help the body. Chronic pain is caused by the constant stream of nociceptive impulses on the central nervous system. This causes a change in the neural response. Chronic pain is oftentimes associated with cancer and cancer treatments, among other conditions, and can occur anywhere on the body. Treatment for chronic pain is usually much more difficult than treatment for acute pain. Not only is addiction and dependency a problem when treating chronic pain, drug tolerance to the pain alleviating effects of the opiates also has been reported in patients. Additionally, patients may develop fear-avoidance strategies to avoid the pain, and because of this may grow to be physically atrophied.