Psychogenic Pain

Psychogenic pain is a term used to describe both long and short term episodes that a person might suffer. These are often caused from underlying psychological problems and are not a response to a physical problem or injury. These episodes are usually brief, but will also show up as ongoing symptoms and are very real and cause very real pain for those who struggle with psychogenic pain.

An Introduction to Psychogenic Pain

Psychogenic pain is a disorder where a person suffers from pain due to different psychological problems. Some of these mental or emotional problems will manifest themselves as physical pain and they will prolong, cause or increase pain. Even though there are cases of psychogenic pain that come on and are caused from an injury that has long since healed, once in a while the pain will come from a mental problem. Most of the time, this type of pain will cause pain that stems from a physical stimulus that needs to feel more intense. Since the brain is the place where the location and levels of discomfort are decoded, people who have emotional disturbances have been found to be at an increased risk for suffering from psychogenic pain. Psychogenic pain can manifest in one of two ways:

• acute - or a pain that briefly spikes then diminishes
• chronic - or a pain that will recur over weeks, months or years

An occurrence of this type of pain is usually nothing and will need no treatment, but the psychogenic pain that is chronic will need to be treated according to the type of pain that is being experienced. Muscle pains, back pains, stomach pains and headaches are some of the more common manifestations of psychogenic pain.

Symptoms of psychogenic pain

When they are chronic, psychogenic pain can cause many different symptoms. These pains can be severe, mild, dull or sharp. Most of the time, this type of pain will cause symptoms that will include:

• trouble explaining the location type or depth of the pain
• ongoing discomfort even when taking medicine
• Pain that becomes worse and has no medical cause
• Pains that cover large parts of the body

When these symptoms are present even when there is no chronic disorder to cause the physical pain, the person may be experiencing psychogenic pain.

Psychogenic Pain Causes

There are three theories that might explain the causes of psychogenic pain:

• Theory 1: Psychological factors causing psychogenic pain. These have been shown to include:
 
anxiety disorder
bipolar disorder
depression
obsessive compulsive behavior
panic attacks.

 
• Theory 2: This is a type of pain that is the result of an injury that hasn't completely healed up. With this theory, emotional issues are the result of the pain and can increase if they physical source of the pain isn't properly treated.
• Theory 3: Psychogenic pain can potentially make pain that exists to feel worse than it really feels. With this particular theory, it is psychological problems that make patients feel more intense pain then the injury or disease should produce. The feelings of pain are very real, but they become more intense from the mental disorder itself.

Psychogenic Pain Treatment

There may be ways to ease physical pain stemming from psychological issues including:

• Physical therapy, especially to ease muscle and joint pain
• Changing the diet
• Maintaining a good exercise routine
• Non-narcotic pain medications and antidepressants

Other options to help treat psychogenic pain may include:

• Family counseling
• Acupuncture
• Behavioral training
• Nerve stimulation through the use of electrical nerve impulses to ease pain
• Hypnotherapy
• Occupational therapy

Easing the physical pain is usually easy, but working to treat the mental disorder that causes it will take quite a lot more effort. Remember that treating mental problems can require long term therapy, management and medication. People who are suffering from psychogenic pain and don't get treatment may suffer from lifestyle changes that include:

• Abuse of alcohol
• Abuse of drugs
• Feeling isolated
• Extreme fatigue
• Irritability
• Inability to sleep
• Loss of memory