Chronic pain and PTSD frequently co-occur and they can interact in such a way that negatively impacts the course of treatment for either condition. However, integrated treatment programs are available that effectively address both conditions.

What is PTSD? PTSD is a mental health conditions that can develop in response to a traumatic event. Traumatic events are defined as experiences which involve death or the threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence. Even witnessing a traumatic event happening to others, or learning that a close relative or close friend was exposed to trauma can result in PTSD.

It is important to know that experiencing emotional distress immediately after trauma is common and normal and happens to many people. Perhaps they cannot stop thinking about the trauma, experience tension and anxiety, and may be hesitant to approach trauma reminders in the first couple of weeks. For most individuals, these symptoms naturally decrease over time and then they go on with their lives. However, for some people, a traumatic event can cause severe and persistent emotional distress that will not recover naturally and result in PTSD.

For people who are experiencing chronic pain after a potentially traumatic event, it is not uncommon to develop symptoms of PTSD in this context as well. For example, scientific studies found high rates of concurrent PTSD and chronic pain among burn victims, motor vehicle accident survivors, veterans, and survivors of sexual and physical assault. And of course, people who suffer from chronic pain can develop PTSD following a traumatic event that is unrelated to their pain (and vice versa).

There are several ideas as to how chronic pain and PTSD develop and how they are related to each other. There is an agreement that prolonged avoidance is associated with the development and maintenance of symptoms for both conditions.