Many people think that pain goes away when an injury or surgery heals. For a large number of people this is the case. However for one in five Australians the pain does not go away. This is called chronic (persistent) pain because it persists beyond the normal healing time of about three months.

The impact of chronic pain can be severe & disabling interfering with daily functions. The pain is felt physically but also impacts personally & socially. Pain can be present without a diagnosis or occur as a result of an injury or surgery. Some of the medical conditions that may lead to chronic pain are:

• musculoskeletal conditions eg back & neck pain or osteoarthritis
• pain associated with stroke
• postherpetic neuralgia & diabetic neuropathy
• complex regional pain syndrome
• polymyalgia
• amputation
• fibromyalgia
• spinal cord injury
• cancer
• headaches & migraine

Historically, pain has been considered a symptom of an underlying condition but medical science now knows that ongoing pain alters nerve pathways so that the nervous system becomes overactive. Normal mechanisms that block or reduce pain stop working so that chronic pain can become a disease in its own right.

Often there is no cure for chronic pain. However, it can be managed & the Australian Pain Management Association Inc. (APMA) provides support for those living with chronic pain & their families.