Chronic Pain Conditions

There are many different conditions that can cause chronic pain. These include:

Neuropathic pain, which is usually a stabbing or burning pain arising from injury or a problem in the nervous system
Widespread pain disorders like fibromyalgia, which cause “all over” body pain
Pelvic pain, which may be associated with disorders of the bladder, uterus, ovaries, pelvic floor muscles, or nerves in the pelvis or lower back
Headaches, including migraines, which are the most likely type of headache that brings patients to see their doctor
Back pain, neck pain, and joint pain disorders, of which the causes may be very different, but the treatment approaches are often similar
Other diseases that cause pain such as chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)
Pediatric pain disorders, which are pain disorders specific to children

This section of the Pain Resource Centre describes common chronic pain conditions that fall into each of the above categories and how they are treated.