Does chronic pain vary?
Not everyone feels chronic pain in the same way and the severity of pain often varies. Common feelings include continuous background pain, with a burning, tight or crushing sensation, and intervals of shooting, stabbing or ‘electrical’ pains. Your pain may also:
- Have no clear link between when the injury happened, or when the disease became apparent, and the pain starting – chronic pain can begin weeks, months or even years later
- Be felt in a part of the body that feels numb
- Start, or get worse, with a touch or stimulus such as heat or cold that would not normally cause pain
- Get worse with repeated touches or stimulation and carry on after the stimulus stops
- Chronic pain could also affect your quality of life, leading to disturbed sleep, anxiety and depression, as well as being unable to work or pursue personal interests.
Last updated: 22 Sep 2010
Your pain may have no clear link between when the injury happened, or disease became apparent, and the pain starting
