22/07/2025
๐๏ธ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ: ๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๏ธ
This National Pain Week - July 21-27, we're focusing on a significant health challenge affecting millions of Australians: chronic pain. At Coolangatta Medical Centre servicing the southern Gold Coast and Tweed Coast, we want to create awareness on this complex condition and remind you that you don't have to suffer in silence.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป? Chronic pain isn't just pain that lasts a long time; it's pain that persists for three or more months. Unlike acute pain (which protects us from injury), chronic pain serves no protective function. It's often due to a "reprogramming" of the nervous system, where pain signals become more frequent and amplified.
Chronic pain can significantly impact every aspect of life โ from work and sleep to social activities and emotional wellbeing. It affects over 3.6 million Australians and is the leading cause of disability in our country.
๐จ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐: Chronic pain can manifest in different ways, including:
๐ก๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป: Linked to tissue injury (e.g., osteoarthritis).
๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป: Associated with nerve tissue injury (e.g., sciatica).
๐ก๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ pain: Arising from altered pain processing without clear tissue damage (e.g., fibromyalgia).
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป: A "Whole Person" Approach Effective management often involves a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. This means looking at the "biological, psychological, and social" aspects of your pain, and may include a combination of strategies like medication, movement, diet, relaxation techniques, and cognitive strategies. It often requires a team of health professionals.
What are YOU doing for your wellbeing if you live with chronic pain? While chronic pain can be debilitating, effective management is possible and starts with your GP.
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป:
โ
๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐.
โ
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป.
โ
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป.
โ
๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ-๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐.
Don't Live With Unmanaged Pain. Despite its prevalence, only a small percentage of Australians with chronic pain can access multidisciplinary pain management. At Coolangatta Medical Centre servicing the southern Gold Coast and Tweed Coast, we are committed to supporting our patients.
If you are experiencing chronic pain, or if you know someone who is, please know that help is available. Book an appointment with our compassionate GPs today to discuss your pain, explore management options, and create a personalised plan to improve your quality of life.
For more information and resources, you can also visit Chronic Pain Australia: https://chronicpainaustralia.org.au/
Call us on 07 5599 1400 or book online at https://www.coolangattamedicalcentre.com/