Chronic pain is pain that is experienced for a long period of time (longer than three months) after an injury. Pain is complicated for people with brain injury because the way you experience pain may have changed, and everyone experiences it differently. Pain can also make symptoms of brain injury worse, especially if it makes doing activities or rehabilitation harder.
There are a few different types of chronic pain. Bodily pain may come from a traumatic injury that involves other parts of the body. It may feel like either an aching or sharp pain that gets worse with activity. Neuropathic pain is when your nerves (which carry information about what you’re feeling to the brain) are affected, and can be a burning, tingling, stabbing or shooting sensation [1]. Headaches are common after brain injury, and can be exhausting.
Many individuals report chronic pain after their brain injury to varying degrees and in different parts of the body [2]. Chronic pain can impact your mental health, emotions, social life, behaviours, and even disrupt your ability to think about other things.
Managing chronic pain after brain injury
Chronic pain can impact your quality of life and rehabilitation. This is bad for both your physical and mental health. It can keep you from engaging in activities you like and socializing with friends and family. It can also contribute to sleep problems and impact your emotions. When you’re tired, you may notice that your pain feels worse, which can then further disrupt your ability to rest. By learning to manage chronic pain, you can improve your quality of life, manage other symptoms, and focus on your rehabilitation and activities of daily living (ADLs).
Pain management may include physical therapy and/or medication. Pain is something that should be discussed with your doctor and other health care professionals on your team because they will have the best information for you and your specific needs.
You can also try some of the following methods for coping with chronic pain.
If you’re feeling pain and don’t know what to do, ask someone to help you. Pain is not something that you should keep to yourself, especially during your recovery. Your parents/guardians, siblings, and friends are there to support you, but they can only do so if you share with them.
Ongoing pain can lead to other health concerns, such as impacts to your mental health [3]. Counselling and support groups can be helpful to manage your overall health and be an opportunity to meet people who can relate to you because they’re going through something similar.
Stress can make your pain worse [4], which could lead to even more stress and discomfort. If something is stressing you out, take a break and ask for help.
We feel our best when we eat nourishing foods. While you may be experiencing pain that makes it hard to focus on anything else, nutrition is still important. It can help you combat other potential health issues that may contribute to your pain.
Pain can interrupt sleep, which can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and discomfort. It’s a cycle that can be hard to break unless you start getting proper rest.
One way to work towards better sleep is to develop a sleep routine. This is something you do consistently every night until it becomes a habit—for example, not using screens after 9 p.m. We cover this more under our section on sleep.
Sometimes pain can be related to stiffness or a lack of movement. In those cases, gentle exercises can provide some relief. It’s best to talk to your doctor before doing this to make sure it’s safe.
The more you focus on your pain, the more you may feel it. While you shouldn’t ignore your pain, focusing on something else takes more of your attention away from the pain, which may change how intensely you feel it.
While this management strategy is often recommended, it may work differently depending on the kind of pain you have and how intense it is [5].
Pain is difficult for others to understand because everyone experiences pain in their own way. But the more information your health care team has, the better they can help you.
Tracking your pain using a chart or journal will not only help identify when you feel pain, but what might be causing you to feel more pain. For example, you may feel more pain after school days where you had a test and had to sit for long periods of time. Talking to your school about alternative testing situations may help.
Many people use breathing and meditation exercises to support both their mental and physical health, which can help work through pain. We have a few guided breathing videos on our YouTube—they’re not specific to pain management, but they’re a great place to start if you aren’t familiar with meditation.
Resources
Check out these additional resources for more information on pain.
