Chronic pain is pain that lasts at least 12 weeks. It is also known as Pain Amplification Syndrome. When tissues in your body get injured or inflamed you feel pain. The nerves in your body send signals back to your brain to tell it this. This is a normal response. This pain has a purpose, for example, pain from an injury or operation. It usually gets better and responds well to medicines. Sometimes pain can last longer if tissues continue to get injured or inflamed.
The condition known as arthritis produces long-lasting ordinary pain. This is due to repeated inflammation in the joints.
Chronic pain lasts longer and generally does not respond well to medicines. Abnormal messages are sent by the nerves even when the tissue injury has healed. This pain does not have a purpose. The brain continues to interpret these messages as painful.
Sometimes there is no obvious cause for the pain. And sometimes it can begin following a specific event such as an injury or illness.
That does not mean that your child is making their pain up – they are experiencing real pain!
One in every 10 children may experience chronic pain at some time or another.