Even with the best treatment, chronic pain may never go away completely. Some people believe that after years of pain, a few visits to a pain specialist will make it go away – not true. Chronic pain is a serious and debilitating condition and treatment requires a lot of work. People who experience chronic pain need a strategic approach: get treatment for the underlying cause, if there is one, and separately treat the pain itself, which often involves seeing doctors and a pain specialist. You can also help manage your pain by taking pain medicine, talking to others about chronic pain and doing things differently, learning to relax, pacing yourself, and planning out your day in order to stay on top of your pain.