What is Chronic Pain?

We all have a pain system that’s designed to protect us. Think of it like an alarm system that’s looking out for anything that might cause us harm or damage. Our pain system is made up of nerves that carry messages between the body and the brain. Not all pain is the same, however. Pain can be acute or chronic. Research tells us that 1 in every 4 people will experience chronic pain in their lifetime.

How is chronic pain different from acute pain?

Chronic and acute pain work differently:

Chronic Pain

Is long term, over 12 weeks
Is not related to any new injury or damage
Persists despite healing having taken place
Treatments are often not helpful and don’t work
Is a useless message from the body

Acute Pain

Is short term, 12 weeks or less
Is usually linked to injury or damage
Eases with healing
Treatment is helpful and works
Is a useful warning message from the body’s pain system

Chronic pain occurs when changes happen in your pain system and it becomes over-sensitive. This can happen following an accident or injury, surgical or medical treatments, or for no known reason. Pain can become constant and unpredictable: a bit like a volume switch being stuck at a high level.

Chronic pain can affect many areas of your life. This can be seen in the persistent pain cycle.

Related Resources

Thoughts and Pain
Psychologists who study pain have found that living with chronic pain can change the way you think about yourself and the world around you.
Pain Does Not Equal Damage
Pain is a normal part of life and doesn’t always mean that something is wrong. Think of pain as an alarm system inside you, looking out for any danger that might cause you harm. Sometimes this alarm system can react in a way that’s not proportionate to the danger it detects.

A Different Approach to Managing Pain
Chronic pain can affect people in different ways. Whatever the reason for your chronic pain, the approaches for managing the pain will be similar. This is because pain management is not about getting rid of your pain; it’s about helping you have a good quality of life despite the pain.
Coping with Changes
We all experience changes in our lives. Learn about how change can affect our wellbeing.

The Wellbeing Lothian website has been developed to provide information, self-help resources and links to help you manage your mental health and wellbeing.

We want to help you make changes in your own lives and point you in a direction to start doing so. This is Wellbeing Lothian’s aim.

Learn More about Wellbeing Lothian

This website is not intended in any way to replace the advice of a clinician. Specific advice should be sought in specific situations from a properly qualified health worker.

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