How Untreated Chronic Pain Can Increase Your Dementia Risk

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

dementiaNew research published this week found that untreated chronic pain can increase a person’s risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and that risk increases based on the number of areas in the body suffering from chronic pain.

The findings, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that chronic pain had an interesting effect on a person’s hippocampus, the area of the brain that is associated with learning and memory. Researchers compared the size of the hippocampus in patients with chronic pain to the size of the hippocampus in aging individuals without chronic pain. When comparing these models, researchers found that chronic pain may artificially age the hippocampus. When compared to a healthy 60-year-old patient, researchers found:

  • Patients with one chronic pain site had a hippocampus that had aged by an additional year.
  • Patients with two chronic pain sites had a hippocampus that had aged by roughly two additional years.
  • Patients with five or more chronic pain sites had a hippocampus that had aged by up to an additional eight years.

“In other words, the hippocampal (grey matter volume) in a 60-year-old individual with (chronic pain) at two body sites was similar to the volume of (pain free) controls aged 62-year-old,” wrote corresponding author Tu Yiheng and his colleagues.

So while you may only be 60 years old, if you are suffering from chronic pain in five or more locations in your body, your hippocampus may have experienced aging similar to that of a 68-year-old. Aging is a common underlying factor in dementia onset, and if your brain is artificially aged due to chronic pain, you may be more likely to experience dementia or cognitive decline.

Prevent Dementia By Treating Chronic Pain

While the findings may be a little concerning for patients dealing with chronic pain, fortunately we can try to reduce our dementia risk by really working to control and treat our chronic pain condition. This is certainly easier said than done, but if you develop a plan and work closely with a pain management specialist like Dr. Cohn, not only can you lead a more comfortable life free of chronic pain, but you can keep your brain healthy as you age.

Treating chronic pain is highly individualized, but may patients find that a combination of the following techniques can help them gain more control over their chronic pain condition:

  • Exercise
  • Posture Improvements
  • Dietary Changes
  • Physical Therapy
  • Stress Relief
  • Sleep Quality Improvements
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Deep Breathing Techniques

As you can see, all of the above techniques are active treatments that focus on improving one or more aspects of your health. Pain medications can certainly play a role in chronic pain management, but the above techniques are better at targeting the underlying pain cause and providing long-term relief.

Of course, working with a pain management specialist can help you find the right combination of treatments for your specific needs. If you want help identifying a pain treatment plan that’s right for you, or you just want to talk to a pain management provider about your symptoms, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.