Most of the time pain is temporary and therefore tolerable. Scrapes, cuts, sprained ankles, bruises – most people can easily deal with these superficial, trivial injuries because we understand them and know that in time the pain will subside. Even broken bones and many surgeries can be easily treated with some pain medicine and time to mend.  This immediate, temporary kind of pain is called “acute pain”. When pain is either constant or intermittent for six months or more, you’re dealing with chronic pain. Chronic pain can make life miserable. Of course it makes work difficult, but the stress and anxiety that results from chronic pain makes everything a challenge – from enjoying the smallest pleasures to upholding the greatest responsibilities. Unfortunately, many chronic pain sufferers don’t know that there are many ways to get rid of pain beyond pills and medications. They also may not completely understand how pain works – the interplay between nerves, spine, and brain that leads to discomfort. You can learn about the pain process and how to get rid of pain (or at least manage it) in my latest article in which I discuss pain clinics, pain specialists, practical at-home therapies, as well as alternative and complementary pain treatments.