Chronic pain is very difficult to prove and obtaining compensation difficult.

September 22, 2016, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Understanding Chronic Pain

What you need to know to achieve understanding and give better help to those suffering

Hard to determine, and even harder to treat, patients who suffer from chronic pain go through a world of struggles. Here’s what is known about the disease, and what people go through to get benefits from their pain.  

Chronic Pain or Chronic Non-Cancer Pain (CNCP) is defined by medical websites as “any pain that lasts more than 12 weeks, which reduces a person’s strength, flexibility, stamina, and movement.” Other symptoms people with chronic pain experience include sleep disturbances, decreased appetite, and mood swings.

While it is hard to determine what causes chronic pain, as it can appear without any reason, common cases that could cause chronic pain was lower back pain and arthritis. Chronic pain can also be caused by diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and acute chronic pain. The most common age group affected by chronic pain was 45 to 65; with women developing more cases than men.

Chronic pain can also develop as a symptom or from having in the past back disorders, fibromyalgia, gout, carpal tunnel syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, neurological, or a spinal disorder. Chronic pain is a serious condition and if not treated or improperly treated can result in more health problems or even premature death. A UK study by the University of Aberdeen found that chronic pain contributes to a 70 per cent greater risk of mortality. It has a higher risk then other diseases like cardiovascular disease.

Canada Mental Health Organization also found that chronic pain is also related to mental health, as pain intensity and pain related activity can contribute to poor mental health.  Besides their health, chronic pain can also affect a person’s work or personal life. Limited mobility due to pain can cause those suffering from chronic pain to lose their jobs, and a lack of understanding of chronic pain from family and friends can result in strained relationships. 

There has yet to be a complete cure for chronic pain, but there are multiple options. Nerve blocks, electrical stimulation, surgery, or medication can help along with psychotherapy, relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and behavior modification. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) can also help relieve symptoms of chronic pain. Some alternative methods include tai chi, mediation, massage therapy, and acupuncture.  For severe cases of chronic pain, Opioids (also known by the street name Oxycotin) might be recommended.

If chronic pain is affecting anyone’s ability to work or continue on with daily life, an individual can apply for benefits through Long Term Disability (LTD) or the Canada Pension Plan for Disability Benefits (CPP-D Benefits) However, it can be difficult to receive benefits for chronic pain as pain can’t be measured physically. While hard to do, it is possible to receive benefits. In order to do so, patients must build a convincing and honest case that can include a medical condition or trauma that has caused suffering, and how chronic pain has caused them hardship.

People diagnosed with chronic pain have a lot of physical, mental and emotional issues to deal with, but by learning about chronic pain, others can help create understanding and provide assistance to make problems chronic pain patients easier to manage. 

Article prepared by Ariel Deutschmann

All information used in this article can be found in the following links:

https://resolutelegal.ca/winning-disability-benefits-for-chronic-pain/

https://www.sharelawyers.com/establishingtotaldisabilityinltdclaimsofchronicpai.html

http://www.macleans.ca/society/health/the-latest-opium-war/

https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/spring11/articles/spring11pg9.html

https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/spring11/articles/spring11pg5-6.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298051/

http://chronicpaincanada.com/blog/severe-pain-is-a-killer--study-finds

http://ontario.cmha.ca/news/chronic-pain-linked-poor-mental-health-statistics-canada/#.V7NeufkrJQI

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.