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Chronic pain

Chronic pain lasts longer than the usual healing time, often more than three months. The pain is real, even when tests show no clear damage to explain it. Treatment focuses on safety, functioning and quality of life.

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  • Chronic pain lasts longer than the expected healing time and is often defined as pain that is present or recurs for more than three months.
  • The pain is real. A scan that does not fully explain it does not mean someone is exaggerating or inventing the pain.
  • Pain may be a warning signal, but an oversensitive pain system may keep sounding the alarm without new tissue damage.
  • A good assessment looks for treatable causes and warning signs, as well as factors affecting recovery and functioning.
  • The aim is often better sleep, movement, participation and management of fluctuations, rather than immediately reaching zero pain.
  • Active recovery involving movement, education, psychological strategies and social support usually works better than long-term passive treatment alone.
  • Medicines may sometimes have a supporting role, but long-term benefit and risk need regular review.
  • New, sudden or clearly changed pain is not automatically attributed to existing chronic pain.

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