What Is Intractable Back Pain?
Intractable back pain is characterized by four traits including disabling pain, severe pain, constant pain and pain that affects other aspects of your body including your hormone levels, blood pressure, neurologic systems and pulse rate.
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Considerations
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Intractable pain is considered that which can result in a person becoming house-bound or even suffering from an early death. It is a pain that is not curable by identified means, according to Intractablepaindisease.com.
Features
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When an individual is suffering from intractable back pain, this means that he is plagued with chronic and persistent pain that runs the gamut from mild to miserable. The term "intractable pain," originated during World War II when British soldiers who were injured needed to take morphine for the remainder of their lives.
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Not Curable
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Intractable pain is not curable but can be treated, so suffering is relieved to a certain extent. Some doctors are trained specifically in treating intractable pain, including that of the back. The term "intractable" only is used when the doctor's evaluation determines that the patient's pain is is constant, severe, debilitating and results in hormonal abnormalities and an increased pulse rate, which are considered objective biological changes.
Arachnoiditis
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An example of intractable back pain is arachnoiditis, which causes a pain in the back that is worse than the pain of a herniated disc, osteoporosis or cancer. The lining of the spinal cord is called the arachnoid. At the lumbar or lower end of the lining, inflammation can occur. The nerves that extend from the spine also can become inflamed. This can result if you have an infection, trauma to the area or injections or medical procedures.
RSD
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Another condition called RSD or reflex sympathetic dystrophy can result in intractable back pain. RSD occurs when there is nerve damage on the outside of the spinal cord. The blood vessels and skin will also be negatively impacted when RSD is present.
Outcome
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An individual can become depressed when experiencing unrelenting pain. Sleep evades the person because he hurts so badly. The pain generally gets worse when the individual moves, engages in an activity or is under stress.
The pituitary and adrenal gland function becomes altered as your body tries to deal with the biological stress that is caused by the pain. When hormones are altered you can lose the calcium in your teeth and bones, which raises the risk of tooth decay and osteoporosis. The immune system is eventually damaged and your urinary tract, respiratory organs and skin can be affected. The ability to concentrate also is impaired.
Treatment
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When an individual is suffering from intractable back pain, she may be treated with opioids.
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References
- Photo Credit pain ii image by Mykola Velychko from Fotolia.com
