Chronic Pain - Why some doctors don't understand it

I was reading an article about children in chronic pain, when this paragraph popped up. In a moment, it crystallized why the medical community often doesn't understand chronic pain. Here's what it said:

“They don’t get it because I’m not crying and screaming all the time,” she said. “They don’t understand, crying makes it worse, screaming makes it worse, and it doesn’t help anything.

The medical world is used to acute cases of pain. Something that wasn't there yesterday for a person is suddenly presenting itself today. A broken arm feels like there's an elephant standing on it, making the patient hesitant to even let you touch it. A pair of tonsils are white and swollen and making it painful to talk or swallow. A stomach cramp makes a person double over in pain, crying out when it gets worse. That is what they can work on and fix.

Then a person comes in with pain in their head and neck that doesn't respond to the usual treatments. They have come in four times in the last six months, desperate for relief. Yet they look good, just a little tired and mildly agitated. The scans and tests can't find anything wrong. Yet they rate their pain very high, higher than the last guy with the broken arm. So what gives? the doctor thinks. Is it all in their head? Are they making it up? they wonder. This is why some in the medical community write off chronic pain as untreatable and others simply don't know what else to do.

Thankfully, a branch of medicine and alternative therapies are gaining ground in dealing with chronic pain. Pain Management is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that focuses on treating the patient's pain and maintaining quality of life. While acute pain is often resolved by treating the underlying condition, chronic pain needs to be controlled and managed by a coordinated effort among a team of doctors able to assist with longterm therapies, such as physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and so on. Some pain is still unmanageable, but the goal is to achieve some form of analgesia, While we have a long way to go, more attention and effort is being directed toward understanding pain, its causes and its effects.

As one who suffers from chronic pain, I'm encouraged by the growth of pain management. My pain is manageable some days and other days, it's not. I ache and moan, but I don't cry much anymore because, like the girl said, it doesn't help and often makes it worse. What helps is loving support from family and friends who understand. If they "get it," it makes a difference in my outlook and my disposition. A solid prayer life and a loving, supportive wife go a long way toward making my pain tolerable.