Pain guides
Plain-language guides to common long-standing pain. They explain, but do not replace, an assessment by a doctor.
Back and neck painMost back and neck pain comes from muscles, joints or discs of the spine and often settles with time. Pain that lasts more than a few months deserves a careful assessment.HeadacheMost long-standing headaches are migraine or tension-type headache. Overusing painkillers can itself keep headaches going.Facial painFacial pain can come from teeth, sinuses, the jaw joint or the nerves of the face. Trigeminal neuralgia is a nerve condition causing brief electric-shock-like pain.Joint painLong-standing knee, hip and shoulder pain is most often due to wear of the joint (osteoarthritis) or, in the shoulder, a stiff 'frozen' shoulder.Nerve painNerve pain (neuropathic pain) happens when nerves are damaged or irritated — for example by diabetes, shingles or a trapped nerve.
Why can pain continue?
Pain is the body's alarm. Sometimes the alarm stays switched on after tissues have healed, because nerves and the brain become more sensitive. Persistent pain is real, even when scans look normal. An assessment looks at the body, sleep, mood, activity and previous treatments together.
Preparing for your consultation
- Where the pain is and how it started
- What makes it better or worse
- How it affects sleep, walking and work
- All medicines, including doses and what you have stopped
- Previous treatments, scans and reports
General information only. Your doctor will advise what suits you.