How do you know if you have chronic pain?

Have you experienced pain for more than twelve weeks?

Has your pain persisted despite the use of medication or treatment?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may recognise the experiences described below:

How your body might feel

• Aches and pains
• Stiffness in your joints
• Tense/ tight muscles
• Exhausted
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Tingling or numb like sensations

Thoughts you might have

• “I’m a burden”
• “I’m useless”
• “I’m a failure”
• “Things will never change”
• “I’m not coping”
• “I can’t go on like this”

Feelings you might have

• Sad
• Irritable
• Lonely
• Stressed
• No interest
• No pleasure

Things you might do

• Stop doing things you enjoy
• Spend more time alone
• Stay in bed a lot
• Push through the pain and end up feeling worse
• Take more medication
• Avoid others

If these look familiar, you might find it useful to learn more about chronic pain in the ‘Learn’ section of this website. You’ll also find some tips on managing chronic pain in the ‘Manage’ section.