Chronic Pain

Summary

Pain is a signal in your nervous system that something may be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling, such as a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache. Pain may be sharp or dull. You may feel pain in one area of your body, or all over. There are two types: acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain lets you know that you may be injured or a have problem you need to take care of. Chronic pain is different. The pain may last for weeks, months, or even years. The original cause may have been an injury or infection. There may be an ongoing cause of pain, such as arthritis or cancer. In some cases there is no clear cause. Environmental and psychological factors can make chronic pain worse.

Many older adults have chronic pain. Women also report having more chronic pain than men, and they are at a greater risk for many pain conditions. Some people have two or more chronic pain conditions.

Chronic pain is not always curable, but treatments can help. There are drug treatments, including pain relievers. There are also non-drug treatments, such as acupuncture, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• “Ouch, That Hurts!” The Science of Pain

Español/Spanish

• Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) American College of Rheumatology

Treatments and Therapies

• Antidepressants: Another Weapon against Chronic Pain Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Managing Pain: Moving Beyond Opioids National Institutes of Health
• Non-Drug Pain Management: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Pain Relievers: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Specifics

• Central Pain Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Myofascial Pain Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Start Here

• Chronic Pain American Academy of Family Physicians
• Chronic Pain Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Chronic Pain: What You Need to Know National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Related Issues

• Chronic Pain and PTSD: A Guide for Patients National Center for PTSD
• Employees with Chronic Pain Office of Disability Employment Policy

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Chronic Pain National Institutes of Health

Statistics and Research

• Complementary Health Approaches for Chronic Pain: What the Science Says National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Living With

• Coping with Chronic Pain American Psychological Association

Find an Expert

• Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• NIH Pain Consortium NIH Pain Consortium

Patient Handouts

• Managing your chronic pain Medical Encyclopedia
• Pain and your emotions Medical Encyclopedia

Older Adults

• Pain Management American Geriatrics Society

Journal Articles

• Chronic Pain