What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that doesn't go away. Unlike acute pain, which comes on suddenly and can usually be traced directly to a cause, chronic pain lingers—and it's rarely easy to tell what's causing it.

That's the situation that millions of chronic pain sufferers are in: they have pain, but there's no easy cause to point to.

In fact, chronic pain in itself can be considered a disease or condition. Most times, pain is a symptom of another condition or problem; it's often considered a warning sign that something is wrong. If pain becomes chronic, though, it's no longer a warning sign of a problem—it is the problem.

One typically accepted definition of chronic pain is pain that's still present, even after the related injury or disease has been healed. It is pain that persists 6 months or more after the related injury or disease has been dealt with.

Another definition is pain that's present, even if there isn't a clear injury or disease causing it.

Chronic pain is hard to define precisely because it takes on so many forms. You'll learn about the types of chronic pain in . Determining the type of pain is a big step towards finding a treatment that helps you deal with your chronic pain.