Suffering from a back injury can lead to numerous physical repercussions and may take a lengthy healing period to recover.
However, the mental toll related to back pain is often more intense and long-lasting than people think it will be.
Back injuries leading to chronic pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain looks into back injuries after a crash. Back injuries take a while to recover from, and in some cases, the impacts related to them can last for weeks, months or even years.
At this point, pain can often become chronic in nature. Chronic pain is a blanket term used to describe pain that lasts for a certain duration or longer. It can encompass pain of all severity, from relatively mild to completely debilitating.
Chronic pain is also tied closely to many mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many studies show that the stress and emotional drainage that occurs as a result of chronic pain can disrupt a person’s life in numerous ways.
The effects of chronic pain
For example, chronic pain sufferers often feel that their social life is lacking, usually due to the chronic pain itself. They simply do not have the energy or desire to pursue relationships or friendships when so much of their energy and time goes into handling their constant pain.
Over time, chronic pain is said to potentially contribute to more negative thoughts or behaviors. It can change how a person acts and views the world around them. In other words, it can have even longer-lasting impacts than physical pain.