Causes and symptoms

Long-lasting pain is often called chronic pain. "Chronic" is often associated with a condition that cannot be changed. When talking about chronic pain, however, the term simply indicates that you have had pain for more than 12 weeks and not necessarily how severe a problem it is.

The fact that you have had prolonged pain is not an indication of whether you can get rid of your pain or not. You must be curious and try to find the reason why the pain persists and find the right approach for you.
It can, for example, be that you have inappropriate working positions, heavy work or the like.

If you have had an injury that takes a long time to heal, or there is a definite illness in the body, the explanation for the pain is clear and the treatment is often clearer.

If, on the other hand, you do not know the cause of your pain, it can be difficult to find out when and why the pain is there.

One explanation could be that when you have had pain for a long time (more than 12 weeks) it is very common that the sensitivity of your nervous system is on constant alert and is overprotective. In this way, you are held in the view that your body must be spared and is not strong.

What can you do yourself?

The latest knowledge about long-lasting pain shows that there are several factors that can play a role. Lack of sleep as well as stress and worries can contribute to your nervous system becoming sensitive, and this can result in pain, of shorter or longer duration.

You can try to delve a little into the three factors of sleep, stress and worries in your own life and use them to understand your pain and the reason for the lack of recovery.

Sleep

Studies show that people with chronic/longer-lasting back pain generally sleep worse. The lack of sleep means that your nervous system does not rest and is on constant alert.

On your way out of the pain, you can therefore advantageously try to get more sleep into your everyday life. More and better sleep helps you to manage your daily life. It can help you to have more energy to do the things that help you reduce the pain, e.g.activity and training.

Stress and worries

Episodes in your life and your pain history can be another important factor. It can both be in connection with your social relationships, psychological stress or work stress. As well as if you have either had an acute trauma or your pain occurred more insidiously.
If you have had pain for a long period of time and the pain does not seem to change, it can give you the perception that you will have to live with the pain for the rest of your life, which can naturally give you worries.

When no definite injury or illness has been detected in your body, where the doctor advises against activity, you can confidently trust that your body benefits from movement and activity. It may require your body and nervous system to get used to it.

It is important that you stay active and start training. Exercise is effective in reducing pain and discomfort, as well as preventing new discomfort in the body.

It is important that you are driven by motivation towards your active life, so feel free to return to the sport or activity that you enjoyed in the past. Set some goals that are realistic to achieve. Studies have shown that there is no one right form of exercise or exercise for long-term pain, but that exercise and movement generally have a positive effect on long-term pain. At the same time, it does not seem to be decisive whether you are training a very specific muscle or movement, as long as you are simply using and challenging your body.

If you lack inspiration and motivation for training, it may be a good idea to sign up for team training in your local area, e.g. pilates, yoga or a general strength training team.