Chronic pain
Persistent pain lasting over three months, often without clear cause.
Chronic pain is pain that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months, often described as burning, electrical, throbbing, or nauseating. It contrasts with acute pain, which resolves when its cause is treated, and can last for years, frequently serving no apparent useful purpose. Chronic pain affects more people than diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and its costs in the US are estimated at US$560–635 billion.
- ICD-11 classification
- MG30
- Prevalence range
- 8% to 55.2% across countries
- US prevalence
- 30–40%
- Common types
- back pain, severe headache, migraine, facial pain
- Estimated US costs
- US$560–635 billion
- Affects more than
- diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
Lore & Background
Chronic pain is classified under ICD-11 code MG30, with subcategories including primary, cancer-related, postsurgical, neuropathic, and others. Primary chronic pain (MG30.0) includes widespread pain (fibromyalgia), primary musculoskeletal pain, and complex regional pain syndrome. The DSM-5 defines chronic complications as lasting more than six months, while the IASP describes chronic pain as persisting beyond usual recovery time, using terms nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic.
Reader's Guide
Chronic pain has significant physical and psychological effects, including grey matter loss, insomnia, metabolic disorders, chronic stress, obesity, heart attack, depression, and neurocognitive disorders. Treatments include opioid and non-opioid drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and physical therapy, but no definitive cure exists. Research continues into nerve blocks and radiation therapy. The pathophysiology involves continuous activation of pain signals, leading to changes in neural structure via neuroplasticity, with group C nerve fibers implicated. Prognosis is often poor, with complete remission rare, and medications carry risks such as opioid dependence, hepatotoxicity from acetaminophen, and decreased life expectancy with chronic opioid use.
Did You Know?
- Chronic pain affects more people than diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
- The estimated costs related to chronic pain in the US are about US$560–635 billion.
- Chronic pain can cause damage to brain neurons (grey matter loss) and lead to insomnia, metabolic disorders, and heart attack.
- The IASP classifies chronic pain as nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic.
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