Chronic pain is defined as defined pain that lasts longer than six months. Pain is a subjective symptom and as such can vary from mild to severe.

With chronic pain, signals of pain remain active in the nervous system for months or even years. This can take both a physical and emotional toll on a person.

According to the pain centres I refer patients to, while we often think of musculoskeletal problems causing chronic pain- such as low back pain, herniated discs and so on- there are many other sources of chronic pain. Post herpetic neuralgia- a complication from Herpes Zoster can cause severe and debilitating chronic pain. Other causes include headaches, muscle injuries and pain due to previous trauma.

Chronic pain can interfere with our activities of daily living and the ability to be independent and self-sufficient. It can result in depression and anxiety.

The symptoms of chronic pain include:

  • ongoing pain
  • individual description of pain
  • fatigue and exhaustion
  • sleeplessness
  • change in mood
  • isolation

Statistics tell us:

  • 21% of Canadians who experienced chronic pain waited more than two years for a diagnosis and only 54% state they have a treatment plan.
  • 45% of Canadians with pain believe there are no treatment options that can help them with their condition.
  • Pain is one of the most challenging areas of medical practice for all health care professionals - partly because pain is what the patient says it is and there are few objective methods to measure successful treatment.
  • Chronic pain is associated with the worst quality of life as compared with other chronic diseases such as chronic lung or heart disease.
  • Median annual cost of care is $17,544 for patients waiting for treatment at Canadian Pain Clinics.
  • Pain is the most common reason for seeking health care and as a presenting complaint accounts for up to 78% of visits to the emergency department, recent research continues to document high pain intensity and suboptimal pain management in a large multicenter emergency department network in Canada and the United States
  • It is clear that we have to do better in managing these complex patients.

Pain in Canada

  • One in five Canadian adults suffer from chronic pain
  • 15-30% of children experience recurring or chronic pain and the prevalence increases with age
  • Pain is the most common reason for seeking health care and as a presenting complaint accounts for up to 78% of visits to the emergency department
  • Growing evidence has identified that many common surgical procedures cause persistent post-operative pain that becomes chronic
  • Only 30% of ordered medication is given, 50% of patients are left in moderate to severe pain after surgery and the situation is not improving
  • Uncontrolled pain compromises immune function, promotes tumor growth and compromises healing with increased morbidity and mortality following surgery
  • Many cancer and HIV survivors have greater quantity of life but unfortunately a poor quality of life due to chronic pain conditions caused by the disease or the treatments that cause irreversible damage to nerves
  • Chronic pain is associated with the worst quality of life as compared with other chronic diseases such as chronic lung or heart disease
  • It is estimated that the annual cost of chronic pain in Canada is at least $56-60 billion dollars
  • People living with pain have double the risk of suicide as compared with people without chronic pain
  • A recent review of opioid (narcotic) related deaths in Ontario, identified the tragic fact that pain medication related deaths in Ontario are increasing and that most of the people who died had been seen by a physician within 9-11 days prior to death (emergency room visits and office visits respectively) and the final encounter with the physician involved a mental health or pain related diagnosis. In almost a quarter of the cases the coroner had determined that the manner of death was suicide
  • Veterinarians receive 5 times more training in pain management than people doctors