We all feel pain. It’s a normal biological function that signals to the body that something is wrong. In most cases, once the body heals, the pain dissipates. 

But what if my pain lingers?

Unfortunately, for many people pain lingers even after the cause (injury, surgery, illness) of it is gone. Pain is said to be chronic when it lasts for 3-6 months or more. Chronic pain can be especially hard to manage, and many suffer without relief. 

About 25% of people with chronic pain go on to develop chronic pain syndrome. Chronic pain syndrome is when the symptoms go beyond pain and include anxiety and depression. It is known that pain and mental illness are very closely linked, with most with chronic pain also struggling with their mental health. 

Symptoms of chronic pain syndrome, include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Poor Sleep
• Suicidal thoughts
• Irritability
• Loss of libido 

Learn more about chronic pain syndrome here 

How is chronic pain treated?

There are several possible therapies that could help those living with chronic pain and/or chronic pain syndrome. Some treatments include physical therapy, occupational therapy and taking pain medicines. Speak to your doctor if you think you are struggling with chronic pain/chronic pain syndrome who can walk you through your different options. 

If you are struggling with pain, you might have already tried a variety of pain medications, but  you might have not experienced relief or you did get relief but in turn have been experiencing debilitating side-effects.  Did you know that your genetics could explain why you aren’t finding the right pain medication for you?

Over 98% of individuals carry some genetic variants that impact their response to medications. You are unique and your response to medication is too. At Inagene, we offer a pharmacogenetic test that will let you know if your genetic makeup is impacting your response to a variety of medications, including many that are prescribed for pain. You can refer to our medication list here: