Pain is a sensation that we are all familiar with and the less of it we experience, the happier we’ll be. But pain exists for a reason. It is the body’s alarm mechanism to alert us that something has gone wrong and immediate attention is needed.
With better quality of life and medical care, Singaporeans are more willing to seek medical help for pain these days. A report by The Straits Times revealed that doctors at both the National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) have noticed an increase in patients seeking treatment for chronic pain.
This is a good sign because persistent pain, even if not linked to any life-threatening conditions, should be professionally managed as there are few things in life that wear a person down as quickly as physical agony. People change when they are in constant pain: their energy levels drop and they become less motivated to interact and socialise. They may also sleep more than usual due to exhaustion. These behavioural patterns are cause for alarm as they are associated with depression.
Chronic pain may also lead to an imbalance in brain chemistry. This is telling if there is difficulty in focusing on multiple things at a time, accompanied by frequent insomnia. This stems from the brain being overactive in trying to make sense of the world.
Long-term pain, if left untreated, can bring a person on a downward spiral physically or psychologically, if not both.
