If you’ve lived with pain for years, you’ve probably heard some version of “there’s nothing more we can do.” You may have been sent from one specialist to the next, each one looking at a single body part. Nobody put the pieces together. (source: medlineplus.gov)
I often tell my patients, “The body never lies, but it does whisper before it screams.” Chronic pain is the scream, and it deserves a clinician who goes back and listens for the whisper. What follows is for you, and for the person who helps you get through the day.
What is chronic pain, and how is it different from acute pain?
Chronic pain is pain that outlasts the healing. MedlinePlus puts it this way: “Chronic pain lasts longer than three months or the time in which you should have healed.” The Veterans Health Library uses the same three-month mark.
Acute pain does a job. It tells you to take your hand off the stove. MedlinePlus describes pain as “a signal from your nervous system that something may be wrong.” In chronic pain, that signal keeps firing after the reason for it has passed, or when there never was a clear reason.
| Acute pain | Chronic pain | |
|---|---|---|
| How long it lasts | Starts suddenly and goes away when the cause is treated or healed | Longer than three months, or past expected healing |
| What it tells you | You may be injured or have a problem to take care of | The alarm may be stuck on, with no clear injury behind it |
| What it can bring with it | Usually the pain itself | Fatigue, mood changes, and difficulty sleeping |
The first and third rows come from MedlinePlus. The middle row is my reading of how that alarm system behaves, and it’s why I start with the nervous system.
What does chronic pain feel like?
It feels different for every person, and that’s part of why it gets dismissed. MedlinePlus lists the sensations as “a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache,” and notes that “each person feels pain differently, even if the reason for the pain is the same.”
Some of my patients describe pain that moves, pain that burns when something light touches the skin, or pain that spreads well beyond where it started. Others describe a deep, constant ache that never fully switches off. You may recognize some of that. If your pain doesn’t match a textbook description, it isn’t any less real. You are not crazy.
Pain also rarely travels alone. MedlinePlus notes that chronic pain “may cause other symptoms such as fatigue , mood changes, or difficulty sleeping .” Those symptoms aren’t extras. For a lot of people, they’re as hard to live with as the pain.
How does chronic pain change day-to-day life?
It changes the small things first. Getting dressed takes planning, and a good morning gets spent carefully because you don’t know what the afternoon will cost you, so you start rationing even the things you love. Plans with friends get cancelled so often that people stop inviting you, and then you grieve that too.
The weight is emotional as well as physical. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “one study reported that about 67% of people with chronic pain have a comorbid mental health condition.” The same page says “approximately 20% of people with chronic pain experience suicidal ideation.” If that’s where you are tonight, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You don’t have to be in danger to call.
Many people living in pain also carry guilt. They feel guilty about the money, about being in bed, about not being the parent or partner they were. I want to say plainly that this is a common response to living in pain, and it’s no reflection on you.
How common is chronic pain?
Very common. The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reports that “in 2023, 24.3% of adults had chronic pain, and 8.5% of adults had high impact chronic pain in the past 3 months” in the CDC’s 2023 data brief. Worldwide, The Lancet says chronic pain affects “more than 30% of people worldwide” and calls pain “the leading cause of disability in the world.”
So you’re far from alone, even when it feels that way at 3 a.m.
Is chronic pain a normal part of the complex conditions Spero treats?
For many of them, yes, though it shows up in different ways. I treat people with CRPS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, dysautonomia and POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and functional neurological disorder, among other conditions. Pain, fatigue, and a nervous system that seems stuck in alarm are threads that run through many of those stories.
I haven’t published a count of how many of my patients live with chronic pain, and I won’t hand you a percentage I can’t back up. What I can say is that the pattern is familiar enough that I don’t treat a pain complaint as a separate problem from everything else going on. You can read how that plays out in my pages on CRPS, fibromyalgia, and dysautonomia.
How do you handle chronic pain day to day?
Start by telling your whole story to someone who will listen. Then build a few habits that make the days more predictable. None of these replaces medical evaluation, and you should check any new routine with your own clinician.
- Keep a simple daily note of pain level, sleep, and what you did. Patterns show up that memory misses, and it gives your clinician something concrete.
- Pace yourself. Spread a task across the day instead of spending everything on a good hour.
- Try slow breathing when pain spikes. Breathe in gently through the nose, then out for longer than you breathed in. It won’t make the pain go away, but it can settle a body that’s bracing.
- Protect your sleep. Keep the same bedtime and wake time where you can.
- Tell one person how bad it gets. Isolation makes pain louder.
It also helps to know what treatment can and can’t do. MedlinePlus says “treatment may not get rid of chronic pain, but it can help with your symptoms,” and the Cleveland Clinic notes that “current chronic pain treatments reduce a person’s pain score by about 30%.” Keep those numbers in mind when you decide what to expect from any treatment, mine included.
If you’ve been discharged from a pain management practice, ask for the reason in writing, request your records, and bring them to your next appointment. Being discharged isn’t a verdict on you or on whether your pain is real.
I’ve written before about why treating pain one symptom at a time falls short and about how to face another year in pain. If you want the longer version of either, start there.
How does The Spero Clinic treat chronic pain?
I treat the nervous system, not just the symptom. I founded The Spero Clinic as an intensive, in-person neurologic rehabilitation program. Instead of chasing one symptom at a time, my team and I work to restore balance and function across the central and autonomic nervous system.
We do that with an individualized program, delivered in person by a connected care team that looks at you as a whole person and not as a diagnosis. I combine therapies because I believe they work better together than apart. Our treatments are not invasive.
I also give it time. Your body needs time and the right support to change, and I’d rather tell you that up front than sell you a shortcut. I aim for pain that’s more manageable and a life with more function in it. Not everyone becomes pain free, and I can’t promise a specific outcome to anyone. The program isn’t a quick fix or something you can do remotely, and it asks a lot of you in time and travel. Cost is something we cover honestly on the discovery call.
I also don’t claim to be your only hope. Many people heal in many ways, and conventional medicine has real value when it’s used at the right time. If the program doesn’t look like a fit once I hear your history, I’ll tell you.
Common mistakes people make with chronic pain
The most common one is pushing through on good days. It feels like catching up, but it often sets up a flare that costs you the next three days. Pace first, even when you feel strong.
The second is waiting for one doctor to explain everything. Chronic pain usually involves more than one system, and no single specialist sees all of it. Bring your records together in one place and look for someone who will connect them.
The third is believing the people who said it’s in your head. Pain is a signal from your nervous system. A nervous system that’s out of balance produces real pain, and you don’t have to prove it to anyone.
FAQ
How can I cope with pain?
Pace your activity, keep a short daily note of pain and sleep, protect your sleep schedule, and use slow breathing when pain spikes. Tell at least one person how bad it gets. Check any new routine with your clinician, and ask for help sooner if mood drops.
What should I do if I’m discharged from pain management?
Ask for the reason in writing and request your records. Then book an appointment with your primary clinician to plan next steps and get a second opinion if you can. Discharge doesn’t mean your pain isn’t real.
What are some natural ways to relieve pain?
Gentle movement within your limits, steady sleep, slow breathing, and pacing can make pain easier to live with. They rarely remove chronic pain by themselves. Talk with your clinician before changing supplements or medications.
What breathing exercises can help with pain?
Try breathing in gently through your nose, then out through your mouth for longer than the in-breath, for a few minutes. Slow, longer exhales can help a tense body settle. It won’t make the pain go away, but it can take the edge off a spike.
One thing to do today
Write down your pain, your sleep, and what you did today, in a few lines. Do it again tomorrow. When you’re ready to talk to someone who will listen to the whole story, schedule a free discovery call with The Spero Clinic through the booking page on our site, and I’ll tell you honestly whether the program fits.
