When you have pain, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Pain can be limiting, and it can get in the way of living your best life. However, understanding the origins of pain and how to treat it effectively can make world of difference.

Read on to learn more about pain and pain management.

What is pain?

Pain is an unpleasant feeling. Sometimes, it can serve as a warning sign of potential danger. For example, if you touch a hot stove, pain alerts your brain to remove your hand before it’s burned.

Sometimes, pain can tell you something is wrong with or in your body. It may be mild and not necessarily a concern, or it could be sudden and more severe, prompting you to seek medical attention.

Pain is complex, subjective and constructed by both the brain and the body, according to the International Association for the Study of Pain[i]. Since the experience occurs in the brain, some people call it psychological. The pain, however, is not just “in your head.”

Chronic vs. acute pain: what is the difference??

Health care providers characterize pain in two ways. The Cleveland Clinic provides a list of characteristics to define the two types of pain[ii].

Acute pain:

• Comes on quickly
• Is caused by injury, surgery or illness
• Lasts six months or less
• Goes away when the cause is addressed/treated

Meanwhile, chronic pain is:

• Long-lasting and persistent
• Causes nerves to become overactive or hypersensitive
• Lasts six months or more
• Can be a complex process, and relief is not guaranteed.

How is chronic pain measured?

Pain can be different for each person, which is why medical providers often use a pain scale to measure chronic pain. A pain scale helps you describe your pain to a medical provider – making it easier for them to help.

Types of chronic pain scales include:

• Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) [iii]: Uses numbers to help you rate your pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain).
• Visual Analog Scale (VAS) [iv]: Usually consists of a horizontal line, 100 mm in length, anchored by word descriptors at each end to represent the severity of pain symptoms, from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (very severe symptoms)
• McGill Pain Questionnaire [v]: Consists of 78 words that describe pain. You rate your own pain by marking the words that best match your feelings.
• Wong-Baker FACES Scale [vi]: Uses a scale of zero to ten with appropriate facial expressions.
• Pain Diaries or Activity Logs: Where patients can keep records of daily fluctuations.

The price of pain

Living with pain can have consequences. It can cause depression, as well as anxiety and social isolation. Sometimes, people in pain decrease their physical activity level. It can also lower your sleep quality. Both of these changes can exacerbate existing consequences of pain. Pain can also make other conditions worse, such as cognitive decline [vii].

Chronic pain affects quality of life. It lowers confidence and has an impact on mood and relationships.

Individuals with chronic pain experience social isolation, which can affect their families too.

Many medical conditions can not only cause pain but can become more common as you age. One of the most common causes of pain in older adults [viii] is osteoarthritis.

Other common causes of pain include:

• Neck or back conditions
• Autoimmune conditions
• Cancer
• Migraines
• Nerve conditions
• Musculoskeletal conditions
• Vascular conditions

Many adults experience pain as they age, and it is very common for pain to affect older adults. However, it is not a normal condition. You do not have to live with daily pain. Although not all pain can be completely cured, it can be improved. Consult your health care provider for assessment and help.

For example, many pain medications can help. These include:

• Acetaminophen
• Anti-inflammatories (such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Nerve medications
• Anti-seizure medications
• Anti-depressants
• Muscle relaxants
• Local or topical medications

Historically, medical providers also used strong opiate pain medications to treat chronic pain. These medications are no longer recommended. In fact, studies have shown that opioids can make pain worse. Among the effects of long-term opioid use is opioid-induced [ix] hyperalgesia, an abnormally increased sensitivity to pain. However, non-opiate medications, like those mentioned above, can be part of an effective pain management plan.

What is pain management?

Pain management is a branch of health care that applies science to the reduction of pain [x]. A chronic-pain-management doctor may have different types of training – including internal medicine, anesthesia, or physical medicine and rehabilitation. Pain-management specialists learn where the pain is coming from and why you’re having pain. Then they can use medications to help reduce pain. They can also suggest a chronic-pain management plan that includes non-medication methods including lifestyle changes, procedures and other therapies.

These alternative methods of pain relief include the following:

• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Massage
• Hot or cold packs
• Weight loss
• Dietary changes
• Swimming and other low-impact exercises
• Medical procedures (like injections or peripheral nerve stimulation)
• Medical devices (like TENS units)
• Surgery

A chronic pain management doctor may recommend various methods for achieving maximum relief.

It’s important to talk to your doctor when you’re experiencing pain. Regular visits to your doctor can help keep you healthy and pain-free in the long term. To learn more about establishing a primary care provider, get in touch with WellMed today.

[i] What is Pain? Pain Management Education at UCSF. (2017). https://pain.ucsf.edu/understanding-pain-pain-basics/what-pain

[ii] What’s the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain? Cleveland Clinic (2025). http://health.clevelandclinic.org/acute-vs-chronic-pain

[iii] Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). PainScale. https://www.painscale.com/article/numeric-rating-scale-nrs

[iv] Visual Analog Scale ScienceDirect (2024). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/visual-analog-scale

[v] Pain Scales: Types of Scales and Using Them to Explain Pain. VeryWell Health (2023). https://www.verywellhealth.com/pain-scales-assessment-tools-4020329

[vi] Faces Pain Scale: Rate Pain Easily With This Visual Tool. CareClinic (2025). https://carclinic.io/faces-pain-scale

[vii] The silent epidemic of chronic pain in older adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. (2019). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6538291/

[viii] Chronic pain in the elderly: Mechanisms and Perspectives. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. (2022). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8928105/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20common,in%20the%20elderly%20is%20osteoarthritis

[ix] More opioids, more pain: Fueling the fire. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School (2019). https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/more-opioids-more-pain-fueling-the-fire-2019070817024

[x] An Overview of Pain Management. Verywell Health. (2025). https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-pain-management-296604