According to the latest research published in the American Heart Association journal, Hypertension: long-term pain in adults could raise their risk of high blood pressure. Moreover, contributing factors could involve the patient’s level of of pain, where their pain is, and whether they suffer from depression [1]. – So as our world-class Pain Doctors are now explaining to patients: managing chronic pain isn’t just about comfort — it’s about long-term health
Main Highlights From the Hypertension Journal
Long-term pain could be connected to developing high blood pressure (HBP)
- The location and timescale of a patient’s pain was linked to the likelihood of acquiring high blood pressure
- Additionally, a patient’s inflammation and depression accounted for various links between long-term pain and HBP
To that end, the researchers stated that these aforementioned discoveries underlie the crucial need for pain management “in the prevention and control of high blood pressure – a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death” [1].
Low-Down on the Chronic Pain & Hypertension Study
As reported in other studies: “musculoskeletal pain (pain in the hip, knee, back or neck/shoulder that lasts for at least three months), is the most common type of pain. This [current] study investigated the associations between the type, location and extent of pain throughout the body and the development of high blood pressure. [Moreover], inflammation and depression are both known to raise the risk of high blood pressure; however, no prior studies have examined the extent to which the link between pain and high blood pressure is mediated through inflammation and depression” [1]. – Therefore, here at the London Pain Clinic, our team of Pain Specialists regard this research as highly warranted.
Taking a Personalised Holistic Approach to Diagnosis & Treatment
The first step to get your chronic pain sorted so that you can get back to feeling your normal self, is to book an in-person or online appointment with one of our renowned Pain Doctors. Then, once your Pain Specialist has reviewed your medical history, and asked you various pertinent questions, they will then arrange for any necessary examination, tests and scans. After this, once they have provided you with an accurate diagnosis (something that is not always possible to attain from a GP, as the majority of them have not undergone the essential extensive years of training and in-house clinical expertise in pain conditions and cutting-edge treatment), they will draw up a Multifaceted Holistic Personalised Treatment Plan.
The above mentioned will include reviewing your blood pressure levels, and any history of depression. – Then once the assessment is concluded, you can get started on your personalised protocol right away. – This is likely to include one or more of the following:
- Conventional treatment (pharmaceuticals and topicals)
- State-of-the-art therapies
- Injectables (including anti-inflammatories, pain blockers and Botox), and
- Lifestyle advice (including diet and exercise)
Interesting Factors From the Hypertension Research Study
The researchers looked at information from the UK Biobank, a huge population-based study that recruited over half a million adults (aged 40-69 when they joined the study)
- The analysis involved “206,963 adults. The average age of the participants was 54 years; 61.7% were women” [1]
- Across all subjects, “35.2% reported experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain; 62.2% reported chronic pain at one site of the body; 34.9% reported chronic pain at two to three musculoskeletal sites; and 3.2% reported pain at four sites” [2]
Reference
[1]. American Heart Association Newsroom (2025). “Chronic pain may increase the risk of high blood pressure in adults.”
