What is chronic or persistent pain?

Pain is part of being human. It’s a vital warning system that tells us when something is wrong — a hot pan, a twisted ankle, an infection that needs treatment. Most pain is acute: it has a clear cause and improves as the body heals.

But chronic or persistent pain is different.

Chronic pain: more than just pain that lasts a long time

Chronic (also called persistent) pain is usually defined as pain that lasts longer than three months, or pain that continues beyond the expected time of healing. For many people, it can last for years or even decades.

Crucially, chronic pain is not simply ongoing injury. In many cases, scans, blood tests, or X-rays may show little or nothing that explains the severity of symptoms — and that can be confusing, frustrating, and invalidating for people living with it.

But the pain is very real.

How chronic pain works

Modern pain science shows us that chronic pain is often driven by changes in the nervous system rather than ongoing tissue damage.

Over time, the brain and spinal cord can become:

• Overprotective

• Hypersensitive

• Stuck in “danger mode”

This means the nervous system continues to produce pain signals even when tissues have healed, or in response to things that shouldn’t normally hurt — such as light touch, movement, stress, or fatigue.

In simple terms:

The alarm system is still ringing, even though the fire has gone out.

Common types of chronic pain

Chronic pain can show up in many ways, including:

• Back and neck pain

• Arthritis and joint pain

• Fibromyalgia

• Neuropathic pain (nerve pain)

• Migraine and chronic headaches

• Pelvic pain

• Pain following surgery or injury

• Conditions like CRPS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or long-term inflammatory conditions

Often, people live with more than one pain condition at the same time.

Chronic pain affects the whole person

Persistent pain is not just a physical experience. It affects:

• Sleep

• Mood

• Energy levels

• Concentration and memory

• Work and finances

• Relationships and identity

Many people describe grief for the life they once had, fear about the future, or frustration at not being believed or understood. Anxiety, low mood, and trauma are common — not because the pain is “psychological,” but because living with pain is genuinely hard.

What chronic pain is not

It’s important to be clear about what chronic pain isn’t:

• ❌ It is not imagined

• ❌ It is not a sign of weakness

• ❌ It is not “all in your head”

• ❌ It is not something you can just push through

Pain is always produced by the brain — but that doesn’t make it any less real or physical.

Can chronic pain be treated?

Chronic pain isn’t usually something that can be “fixed” with a single treatment. Instead, the most effective approach is holistic and personalised, focusing on improving quality of life and reducing the impact pain has on day-to-day living.

This may include:

• Pain education and understanding how pain works

• Gentle movement and rehabilitation

• Pacing and activity management

• Psychological support (such as pain-focused CBT or ACT)

• Medication where appropriate

• Support with sleep, stress, and wellbeing

• Social and practical support

The goal is not always zero pain — but more control, confidence, and a fuller life alongside pain.

A hopeful message

Living with chronic pain can be isolating, exhausting, and overwhelming — but you are not broken, and you are not alone.

With the right support, understanding, and tools, many people find ways to:

• Move more freely

• Feel safer in their bodies

• Reconnect with what matters to them

• Live well, even if pain doesn’t completely disappear

Chronic pain is complex — but so are humans. And change is always possible.