Post-Surgery Pain
Post-surgery pain, also referred to as postoperative pain, is pain a patient continues to feel after a surgical procedure. Virtually all surgical procedures will result in some level of acute pain after surgery, which refers to the expected pain felt near the surgical site as the body heals.
However, pain can sometimes continue after the surgical site has healed. If it persists for at least three months after the procedure, it is considered chronic pain. Chronic post-surgery pain can impact the results of the patient’s procedure, their rehabilitation, and their overall quality of life.
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What causes post-surgery pain?
Chronic post-surgery pain is thought to result from injury to one or more peripheral nerves during a surgical procedure.
Surgery involves the cutting of tissues and nerves, which activate the body’s automatic injury responses such as inflammation.
Sometimes, these responses can change how the nervous system processes pain signals. Other times, the nerves that were cut during the procedure may regrow in an abnormal way. Either of these outcomes can lead to chronic pain after surgery.
What are symptoms of post-surgery pain?
Chronic post-surgery pain refers to pain that continues three months or more after a surgical procedure. Symptoms can include:
- Burning pain
- Aching pain
- Shooting pain
- Numbness
- Sensitivity to touch or temperature
Postoperative pain is believed to be caused by damage to peripheral nerves, which means the resulting pain is not necessarily located near the surgical site.
How is post-surgery pain treated?
The primary way to prevent chronic post-surgery pain is to keep the acute postoperative pain to a minimum. Studies show there is a strong link between the severity of pain in the 10 days after surgery and the development of chronic pain.
Taking steps to immediately relieve pain after a surgery can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing chronic pain. You can discuss these options with your surgeon prior to the procedure.
If chronic postoperative pain still develops, there are a number of treatment options that can help provide relief.
Schedule an appointment with Twin Cities Pain Clinic to learn how we can help relieve your chronic post-surgery pain.
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