What is “chronic” or “intractable” pain and what causes it?
Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs over a prolonged period of time (more than six months). If it is not adequately relieved by standard medical management, it is said to be intractable pain. Chronic pain may result from a previous injury long since healed, or it may have an ongoing cause, such as arthritis, cancer, nerve damage or chronic infection. Pain also can be due to conditions such as failed back syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome.
