Post-Traumatic Pain
Post-traumatic pain is chronic pain that persists long after an injury has healed, often due to nerve damage, central sensitization, or ongoing inflammation. Silver Pain Centre offers specialized, OHIP-covered treatments to address the underlying causes of your pain and help you recover function and quality of life.
What Is Post-Traumatic Pain?
Post-traumatic pain is a chronic pain condition that develops following physical trauma such as accidents, falls, sports injuries, or workplace incidents. While acute pain after an injury is expected, post-traumatic pain persists long after the tissues have healed, often lasting months or years. This occurs because the nervous system can become sensitized by the original injury, continuing to generate pain signals even after the damaged tissues have repaired. Post-traumatic pain can affect muscles, joints, nerves, and bones, and may be accompanied by stiffness, reduced mobility, and psychological symptoms such as anxiety or sleep disturbance. Effective management requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both the physical and neurological components of the pain.
Persistent aching, throbbing, or sharp pain at or near the site of a previous injury
Stiffness, reduced range of motion, or difficulty performing movements that were normal before the injury
Increased sensitivity to touch, pressure, or temperature changes in the injured area
Pain that spreads beyond the original injury site or fluctuates with activity, weather, or stress
What Causes Post-Traumatic Pain?
Post-traumatic pain develops through several mechanisms following physical injury. Contributing factors include:
- Direct nerve damage: Nerves injured during the initial trauma continue sending abnormal pain signals long after healing
- Central sensitization: The spinal cord and brain become hypersensitive to pain signals, amplifying normal sensations
- Scar tissue formation: Adhesions and fibrosis that develop during healing can compress or irritate surrounding nerves
- Chronic inflammation: Persistent low-grade inflammatory responses that maintain pain signaling at the injury site
- Musculoskeletal changes: Altered movement patterns and muscle imbalances that develop as compensation for the original injury
- Psychological factors: Stress, anxiety, and trauma responses that influence pain perception and processing
Treatment Options for Post-Traumatic Pain
Silver Pain Centre provides specialized, evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic pain. Our team uses advanced diagnostic techniques to identify the specific pain generators and develop a targeted treatment plan to address both peripheral and central pain mechanisms.
Targeted nerve block injections: Precise delivery of local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication to block pain signals from damaged nerves at the injury site
Trigger point injections: Treatment of painful muscle knots and tension patterns that develop as a protective response to the original trauma
Radiofrequency ablation: Advanced technique using heat energy to interrupt pain signals from specific nerves contributing to chronic post-traumatic pain
Joint injections and viscosupplementation: Targeted treatment for post-traumatic joint pain using corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid to reduce inflammation and improve joint function
Pulsed radiofrequency neuromodulation: Non-destructive electromagnetic therapy to calm sensitized nerves and reduce chronic pain without permanent nerve damage
Medication optimization: Strategic use of neuropathic pain medications, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxants tailored to your specific pain pattern
Rehabilitation coordination: Collaborative care with physiotherapy to restore mobility, strength, and function while managing pain throughout the recovery process
When to Seek Help for Post-Traumatic Pain
You should consult a pain specialist if you experience pain that persists for more than three months after an injury has healed, pain that progressively worsens rather than improves over time, stiffness or weakness that limits your ability to return to normal activities, pain that disrupts your sleep or affects your mood and mental health, or symptoms that have not responded to initial treatments such as physiotherapy or over-the-counter medications. Early intervention can prevent chronic pain from becoming more entrenched and difficult to treat.
At Silver Pain Centre, we provide comprehensive, OHIP-covered consultations designed to help you find lasting relief. Here’s how we make a difference:
Collaborative Care
Fast Access
Advanced Diagnostics
Our North York facility uses imaging such as MRI, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy to pinpoint the exact source of your pain.
Non-Surgical Options
From nerve blocks to radiofrequency ablation, we provide targeted treatments to relieve pain and restore mobility.
Interventional pain procedures performed to date
Years of specialized pain management experience
%
Patient-reported satisfaction based on post-visit surveys
Image-guided injections performed monthly
Explore Our Full Range of Pain Management Solutions
Learn about our pain management treatments and explore the options available at Silver Pain Centre.
Book a Consultation for Post-Traumatic Pain
If you are living with persistent pain following an injury or accident, our specialists can help. Silver Pain Centre offers advanced, OHIP-covered treatments designed to target the root causes of post-traumatic pain and support your recovery.