When you visit a pain clinic, you might find it surprising that your specialist asks questions that don’t seem directly related to your pain. This is because pain specialists look for associated conditions that could positively or negatively influence your treatment. One common condition is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which occurs alongside chronic pain in at least 10% of cases.
PTSD can develop after a traumatic event, such as a car accident, where the body’s flight-or-fight response becomes stuck in a heightened state of hyperarousal. This can lead to ongoing symptoms like nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts, which not only cause distress but also amplify pain signals in the body. As Dr. Russo explains, “Hyperarousal feeds into elevating the output from the adrenal glands,” keeping the pain networks active and making it harder to manage pain effectively.
To improve outcomes, both PTSD and pain need to be addressed together. Treatments may include talking therapy to work through the trauma, medications that help manage symptoms like nightmares or anxiety, or a combination of approaches guided by pain specialists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Once these conditions are treated together, patients often experience better pain control and an improved quality of life.
If you’re dealing with both chronic pain and symptoms of PTSD, talk to your doctor. Open discussions can lead to tailored treatments that make a huge difference in managing these interconnected conditions.
If you have any questions about managing chronic pain and PTSD, vist our Contact Us page or call us at 02 4985 1800.