Pain is an indispensable natural protective mechanism of the body. The pain warns of (potential) danger. This is useful information to prevent injuries or damage to the body. However, this is the case when talking about acute pain. When it comes to persistent pain (formerly chronic pain), the problem is more complex. The relationship between pain and damage is no longer so clear. Persistent back or neck pain can have major consequences for daily life. Treatment at RealHealth focuses on reducing these negative consequences.
Back or neck pain is a problem for many people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the world's population experiences pain in the back or neck at some point in their lives. This usually goes away, but pain can also persist for a long time.
Initially, when experiencing pain, it will be examined whether there is a physical cause for the pain complaints. If the pain is present for longer than three to six months, we speak of persistent pain. This is the new term for chronic pain, the meaning is the same. With persistent pain, a medical explanation cannot always be found. Sometimes the pain can be (partly) medically explained, but medical specialists estimate that surgery or pain treatment is not helpful. In both cases, the persistent pain can have major consequences for daily life.
With persistent pain, it is not about body tissue that needs to heal. Something else is going on: a disturbed balance in the pain system.
The functioning of the pain system is complex. Pain does not necessarily mean that something is actually broken in the body. Persistent pain is therefore not directly treatable. Unfortunately, the complaints can have major (negative) consequences for daily life. The treatment at RealHealth therefore does not focus on directly influencing the pain. In the treatment, we look at improving functioning and reducing the negative consequences of back and neck pain. This can have a positive influence on the pain complaints in the long term.
Source: Chronic Pain Care Standard – version 28-03-2017
