With a combination of appropriate physical care, professional counselling, and emotional support, chronic pain can be successfully managed.

Chronic pain can be debilitating and is often characterized by pain that lasts for many months, even years. The pain can be mild to excruciating and can be mildly inconvenient to totally incapacitating. Chronic pain may be accompanied by fatigue, sleeplessness, withdrawal from activity, increased need for rest, changes in mood, and a weakened immune system. 

Chronic pain may worsen due to various factors and may have emotional effects that include increased level of stress, depression, anger, fatigue, or anxiety. Chronic pain is often seen more in patients as they advance in age, and is a response to the wear and tear on the body over a number of years. 

A naturopathic doctor (ND) will seek the root cause of the chronic pain. An ND may recommend changes to exercise, increased relaxation, changes in diet, acupuncture, and/or changes in sleeping patterns.

Description Courtesy of The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Medicine