Not necessarily. With proper treatment, people can live full, normal lives after having experienced chronic pain.

Friends and family can benefit you by helping you to live as normally and independently as possible.

The best way is to describe your pain as clearly and in as much detail as you possibly can. Most doctors and nurses ask you to describe your level of pain on a scale.

You might notice at times that you are in more pain than usual (such as at the end of a tiring day or as a result of certain activities). If you notice that certain activities contribute to your pain, or that you feel worse at certain times of the day

Yes. Your provider needs to assess your pain, so it is very important for your health care team to know if you are in pain.

This situation occurs when you have developed tolerance to a drug. Tolerance is a normal physiological response to narcotics and occurs when the initial dose of a substance loses its effectiveness over time.

Not necessarily, if you take your medication exactly as prescribed. A persons likelihood of becoming addicted depends, in part, on his or her addiction history.

Dont wait until pain becomes severe to take pain medication. Pain is easier to control when it is mild. You should take your pain medication regularly, just as prescribed. Sometimes this means taking medicine on a regular schedule.