The Check Engine Light

Having chronic pain is like having a car with a broken check engine light. Every moment of every day that light is on telling you something is wrong with the car. You take it to the mechanic and the mechanic tells you a few things are broken, but they aren’t fixable and the car is still drivable. You learn to live with the rattles and other noises the car makes, but it still doesn’t drive like it should.

Then one day you notice the car feels a bit off, its likely just your known broken parts but you have no way of knowing if it is something else as your check engine light is always on. So you take it in once again to the mechanic and they tell you that yes it is still the same broken piece and nothing else is wrong.

A few weeks later something feels off again, you ignore it for a while but you feel like something is wrong. This time you decide to call the mechanics’ assistant advice line. You describe what's wrong and they start to ask some questions. They ask if the car has been making this noise or driving in this way. You answer yes, but say it always does that. They tell you this is a car emergency and you should have it brought right in or call a tow truck. So you do, but when the mechanic looks the car over they tell you nothing is wrong and its just the same problem you’ve had before.

Over the next couple of months problems come and go but you tell yourself your car is fine. The new noises and rattling is likely just the same old problem. Until one day the car just won’t drive right at all. You head back to the mechanic and this time there is an issue. The mechanic yells and says “why didn’t you come in sooner when you heard the rattling” you respond “because my engine light is always on and usually it means nothing”

You get it fixed and begin the same process over again.

Pain is our body's way of telling us something is wrong. When you have chronic pain, you are constantly being told something is wrong. It becomes hard to distinguish if the pain is just the same old chronic pain or if something else more serious is going on. It gets tiring going to the doctor being told nothing new is wrong, but its often hard to distinguish on your own. Here are my top tips for dealing with chronic pain and knowing when something is wrong.

1. Keep track of your pain patterns. Knowing your chronic pain patterns can be really helpful both for you and your doctor.

2. If something feels off to you, get it checked out! It is better safe than sorry. I also recommend making sure you have a primary care doctor who is reachable. That way when things come up you can run it by them.

If you are a provider who has a patient with chronic pain here is how you can best support them-

1. Be approachable. Let your patient know that you are there for them and if they are concerned you are always willing to hear their concerns.

2. When they come in concerned about a symptom and it ends up being the same old problem, reassure them that they made the right decision to get it checked out.

Do you have any tips for living with chronic pain? Share them in the comments and be sure to share this post with anyone you know who struggles with chronic pain.

Disclaimer-

All information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only. Always consult your healthcare provider and/or your insurance provider for your specific situation. This blog does not offer medical advice.