Chronic Pain Treatment Explained: From Diagnosis to Long-Term Relief
If you've been living with pain for months—or even years—you know it's not just about the physical discomfort. Chronic pain affects your sleep, your mood, your relationships, and your ability to do the things you love. It can make you feel frustrated, exhausted, and sometimes, hopeless.
But here's what we want you to know: chronic pain is treatable. While the journey to relief isn't always straightforward, there are proven approaches that can help you feel significantly better and regain control of your life.
Let's walk through what chronic pain really is, how doctors diagnose it, what treatment options are available, and what long-term relief can look like for you.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for three months or longer—well beyond the normal time it takes for an injury to heal. Unlike acute pain, which is your body's alarm system telling you something is wrong, chronic pain often persists even after the original injury or condition has been treated.
Chronic pain can come from many sources:
An injury that never fully healed
An ongoing condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia
Nerve damage or dysfunction
Spinal problems like herniated discs or stenosis
Previous surgery or medical procedures
Sometimes, no clear cause can be identified
What makes chronic pain so challenging is that it's not just a physical issue. Over time, chronic pain can change the way your nervous system processes pain signals, making you more sensitive to pain. It can also affect your mental health, sleep patterns, and overall quality of life.
Understanding that chronic pain is complex—involving your nerves, brain, emotions, and body—is the first step toward effective treatment.
How Is Chronic Pain Diagnosed?
Getting to the root of chronic pain takes time and detective work. Unlike a broken bone that shows up clearly on an X-ray, chronic pain often requires a more comprehensive evaluation.
Here's what typically happens during your assessment:
Medical History
Your pain specialist will ask detailed questions about:
When your pain started and what might have triggered it
What the pain feels like (sharp, dull, burning, aching)
Where the pain is located and whether it radiates
What makes it better or worse
How it affects your daily life
Previous treatments you've tried and their results
Other health conditions or medications you're taking
Physical Examination
Your doctor will perform a thorough physical exam to assess:
Your range of motion and flexibility
Strength and reflexes
Areas of tenderness or sensitivity
How your body moves and functions
Diagnostic Tests
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor might order:
Imaging: X-rays, MRI, or CT scans to look at bones, joints, discs, and soft tissues
Blood tests: To check for inflammation, infection, or conditions like rheumatoid arthritis
Nerve studies: To assess nerve function and identify nerve damage
Diagnostic injections: Sometimes, targeted injections can help pinpoint the exact source of pain
The goal isn't just to confirm that you have pain—it's to understand why you have pain, so treatment can address the underlying cause.
What Are the Treatment Options for Chronic Pain?
One of the most important things to understand about chronic pain treatment is that there's rarely a single "magic bullet." The most effective approach usually combines multiple therapies tailored to your specific condition and needs.
Let's look at the main categories of treatment available.
Conservative Treatments
These are often the first line of defense and form the foundation of most pain management plans.
Medications:
Over-the-counter pain relievers: Paracetamol and NSAIDs like ibuprofen can help with mild to moderate pain
Prescription pain medications: For more severe pain, your doctor might prescribe stronger options, though these are used cautiously
Nerve pain medications: Drugs like gabapentin or pregabalin can help with neuropathic pain
Antidepressants: Certain types can help manage pain and improve sleep
Muscle relaxants: These can ease muscle tension and spasms
Physical Therapy: A skilled physiotherapist can create a program to:
Strengthen muscles that support painful areas
Improve flexibility and range of motion
Teach proper body mechanics to prevent further injury
Reduce pain through manual therapy and exercises
Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists help you adapt daily activities and work tasks to minimize pain and maintain function.
Exercise: Gentle, regular movement—whether it's walking, swimming, yoga, or tai chi—can reduce pain, improve mood, and boost overall health. The key is finding activities you enjoy and can do consistently.
Interventional Pain Treatments
When conservative treatments aren't providing enough relief, interventional procedures can target pain more directly. These are performed by pain specialists and are typically minimally invasive.
Cortisone Injections: Anti-inflammatory medication injected directly into painful joints, tendons, or the spine to reduce swelling and pain.
Nerve Blocks: Local anaesthetic or medication injected near specific nerves to interrupt pain signals. These can provide diagnostic information as well as relief.
Epidural Steroid Injections: Medication delivered into the space around the spinal cord to reduce inflammation and pain, particularly for sciatica or spinal stenosis.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): Heat energy is used to temporarily disable nerves that transmit pain signals. This can provide relief lasting six months to two years.
Spinal Cord Stimulation: For severe, complex pain, a small device can be implanted to send electrical pulses that modify pain signals before they reach the brain.
Regenerative Therapies: Treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections use your body's own healing factors to support tissue repair and reduce inflammation.
Your pain specialist will recommend interventions based on your specific diagnosis and what's most likely to help your particular type of pain.
Psychological and Behavioral Approaches
Chronic pain doesn't just affect your body—it affects your mind and emotions too. That's why psychological support is a crucial part of comprehensive pain management.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps you develop coping strategies, change unhelpful thought patterns, and reduce the emotional impact of pain. Research shows it can significantly improve quality of life for people with chronic pain.
Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices help you relate to pain differently, reducing distress and improving your ability to manage symptoms.
Biofeedback: This technique teaches you to control certain body functions—like muscle tension and heart rate—to help reduce pain.
Pain Education: Understanding how pain works in your body can actually reduce pain levels. Learning about pain neuroscience helps "turn down" the volume on overactive pain signals.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): This approach helps you focus on living a meaningful life despite pain, rather than making pain elimination the sole goal.
Complementary Therapies
Many patients find additional relief from therapies that complement medical treatment:
Acupuncture: Fine needles placed at specific points can help reduce pain for some people.
Massage Therapy: Can relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation.
Hydrotherapy: Warm water exercises can be easier on painful joints while still building strength.
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): A small device that sends mild electrical currents through the skin to reduce pain.
While evidence varies for different complementary therapies, they can be valuable additions to a comprehensive treatment plan—especially when they improve your overall wellbeing and help you stay active.
What Does the Treatment Process Look Like?
Understanding what to expect can help you feel more prepared and engaged in your own care.
Step 1: Comprehensive Assessment
Your first appointment will be thorough. Your pain specialist needs to understand not just your pain, but your whole story—your medical history, lifestyle, goals, and challenges.
Step 2: Developing Your Treatment Plan
Based on your assessment, your doctor will create a personalized plan. This might start with conservative treatments, or it might involve interventional procedures right away—it all depends on your specific situation.
Step 3: Starting Treatment
You'll begin with the initial phase of your treatment plan. This might include medication adjustments, starting physiotherapy, or scheduling a procedure.
Step 4: Monitoring and Adjusting
Chronic pain treatment is rarely "one and done." Your pain specialist will regularly check in with you to see what's working and what's not, adjusting your plan as needed.
Step 5: Long-Term Management
Once you've found an approach that's helping, the focus shifts to maintaining your progress and preventing flare-ups. This often involves ongoing self-management strategies, periodic follow-ups, and knowing when to seek additional help.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
This is one of the most common questions—and the honest answer is: it depends.
Some treatments work relatively quickly:
Nerve blocks or cortisone injections might provide relief within days
Medications often start working within a few weeks
Some interventional procedures offer immediate pain reduction
Others take more time:
Physical therapy typically requires several weeks of consistent work
Psychological approaches may take months to show full benefits
Radiofrequency ablation can take one to three weeks before you notice improvement
The key is having realistic expectations and staying committed to your treatment plan, even when progress feels slow. Most people don't go from severe chronic pain to zero pain overnight—but gradual, steady improvement is absolutely possible.
What Does "Long-Term Relief" Really Mean?
When we talk about long-term relief from chronic pain, we don't necessarily mean that your pain will disappear completely forever. For many people, especially those with conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia, some level of pain may persist.
But long-term relief can mean:
Your pain is significantly reduced—maybe from an 8 out of 10 to a 3 or 4
You have more good days than bad days
Pain no longer controls your life or limits what you can do
You've developed effective strategies to manage flare-ups when they occur
You're sleeping better, feeling stronger, and enjoying life again
Long-term relief is also about maintenance. This might involve:
Continuing with exercises or physiotherapy
Periodic procedures to maintain pain control
Ongoing use of certain medications
Regular check-ins with your pain specialist
Self-care practices that keep you functioning well
Think of it like managing any other chronic condition—it requires ongoing attention, but it becomes part of your routine rather than dominating your life.
The Importance of a Multidisciplinary Approach
The most successful chronic pain treatment programs bring together different types of expertise. That's why comprehensive pain clinics often include:
Pain physicians who can diagnose and perform procedures
Physiotherapists who can improve strength and function
Psychologists who can address the emotional impact of pain
Occupational therapists who can help you adapt daily activities
Nurses and care coordinators who support you throughout treatment
This team approach ensures you're getting well-rounded care that addresses all aspects of chronic pain—not just the physical symptoms.
What You Can Do to Support Your Treatment
While your healthcare team provides expertise and interventions, you play the most important role in your recovery. Here's how you can actively participate:
Stay engaged: Ask questions, share concerns, and be honest about what's working and what's not.
Follow through: Take medications as prescribed, do your exercises, and attend appointments consistently.
Track your progress: Keep notes about your pain levels, activities, and symptoms. This information helps your doctor fine-tune your treatment.
Pace yourself: Learn to balance activity with rest. Pushing too hard can cause flare-ups, but staying too inactive can make pain worse.
Take care of your overall health: Good nutrition, adequate sleep, stress management, and staying connected with others all support pain recovery.
Be patient with yourself: Healing from chronic pain takes time. Celebrate small improvements rather than focusing only on how far you have to go.
When Should You See a Pain Specialist?
You might benefit from seeing a pain specialist if:
You've had pain for more than three months
Your pain is significantly affecting your quality of life
Previous treatments haven't provided adequate relief
Your GP has recommended specialist care
You need access to interventional procedures
You want a comprehensive, coordinated approach to pain management
You don't have to wait until pain becomes unbearable. Earlier intervention often leads to better outcomes.
There Is Hope
If you've been living with chronic pain for a long time, it's easy to lose hope. Maybe you've tried treatment after treatment without much success. Maybe you've been told "you just have to live with it" or "it's all in your head."
But chronic pain research and treatment have advanced significantly in recent years. We understand more about how pain works, and we have more tools than ever to address it effectively.
You don't have to accept chronic pain as your permanent reality. With the right team, the right approach, and your own active participation, meaningful improvement is possible.
We're Here to Walk This Journey With You
At Metro Pain Group, we've spent over 30 years helping people across Melbourne find relief from chronic pain. We've treated more than 84,000 patients, and we've learned that every person's pain journey is unique—which is why we never offer cookie-cutter solutions.
Our experienced team of pain specialists, allied health professionals, and support staff work together to provide comprehensive, compassionate care. We use the latest evidence-based treatments, and we take the time to truly understand your pain and your goals.
Whether you're just beginning to explore treatment options or you've been searching for answers for years, we're here to help you find a path forward.
Call us at (03) 7049 4468 or book online to schedule a consultation. We're located at Monash House Private Hospital in Clayton, and we're ready to partner with you on your journey toward long-term relief.
You deserve to feel better. Let's make that happen together.
Metro Pain Group
Leaders in comprehensive chronic pain treatment in Melbourne
Monash House Private Hospital, Clayton