We hope this will answer some of your questions about pain and about our approach to the management of this complex problem. There are no easy answers for people with chronic pain. You probably already know this from your own experiences. Coping with a chronic pain problem requires patience, hard work and a willingness to change how you do things. It also requires change and understanding on the part of your family, as well as the involvement of skilled health care professionals.
Chronic pain is difficult to define or describe.
Generally, it means pain that does not respond to the usual forms of medical management, that is, it doesn t go away. Having pain which doesn t go away can create a number of problems. For example, simple movements seem more difficult so you become less active. Your sleep may be interrupted. You may become less patient and you may start running into problems at home, at work, or both.