What Causes Chronic Pain?
The medical condition is fairly common, with nearly 25% of American adults experiencing chronic pain (Stretanski et al., 2025). Chronic pain primarily affects older adults, women, people with chronic conditions, smokers, and people who are overweight or obese (Van Hecke et al., 2013).
The following genetic, biological, environmental, and clinical factors may cause chronic pain (Van Hecke et al., 2013).
Genetics
Chronic pain can be heritable. Many genes have small effects that can influence your pain sensitivity, pain reporting, and susceptibility to developing the condition. So if your parent or sibling has the condition, you are more likely to develop it.
Injury and Disease
Fractures, soft tissue damage, and chronic inflammation from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis can cause chronic pain.
The Gut-Brain Connection
Early research suggests that the gut microbiome may influence pain perception by regulating peripheral and central sensitization via gut-brain interactions (Zhao et al., 2025). Peripheral sensitization occurs when injury or inflammation makes nociceptors (pain sensors) more responsive. Central sensitization is an amplified, persistent response of the central nervous system to stimuli, leading to widespread chronic pain.
Psychological and Behavioral Factors
Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety are linked to a heightened sensitivity to pain. Additionally, stress hormones and pain catastrophizing (having excessive worry about pain) can amplify your perception of pain.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
While not direct causes of chronic pain, these factors can increase the risk and severity of the condition:
Sedentary behaviors (e.g., sitting, watching TV, lying down, etc.)
Overweight and obesity
Poor ergonomics
Nutrient-poor diets that contain an insufficient amount of anti-inflammatory nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and antioxidants
Social determinants of health (SDOH), such as socioeconomic status, education, workplace, and social support
Together, these factors may influence how your chronic pain develops, its severity, and how well it responds to treatment.
Who Is At Risk?
Certain people may be more susceptible to experiencing chronic pain due to biological, social, and environmental factors (Rikard et al., 2023):
Demographics
Being an older adult, identifying as female, having a veteran status, or being an American Indian/American Native adult are potential risk factors for developing chronic pain.
Socioeconomic Status
Certain socioeconomic factors, such as being unemployed, having public health insurance, living in a metropolitan area, or living in poverty, could make you more susceptible to experiencing long-term pain and discomfort.
Health History
Having a disability or living with certain chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and others, can increase your likelihood of experiencing chronic pain.
These risk factors don’t guarantee you’ll have chronic pain, but increase your risk of developing symptoms.
What Are The Symptoms?
Symptoms of chronic pain can include physical sensations such as burning, aching, throbbing, shooting, squeezing, stinging, and stiffness.
These physical symptoms can lead to other forms of discomfort, including tiredness, insomnia (trouble falling asleep), irritability, and mood swings.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s best to reach out to your healthcare provider.
How Is Chronic Pain Diagnosed?
Diagnosing chronic pain can be complex, as it heavily relies on you describing the intensity and duration of your pain. A healthcare professional will ask you certain questions, such as the location of the pain, its intensity on a scale of 0 to 10, whether it affects your quality of life, and your medical history, to gauge how debilitating the pain may be.
They may also perform a physical examination and certain tests to identify the cause of chronic pain, including:
Blood and urine tests
Imaging tests, such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Electromyography (EMG)
Spinal fluid tests
Nerve conduction studies
Reflex and balance tests
If your results indicate chronic pain, your provider may refer you to a pain management specialist for further evaluation and treatment.
Because chronic pain is a multifaceted condition, receiving a comprehensive diagnosis allows your doctor to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific symptoms and underlying contributors.
How Is Chronic Pain Treated With Regenerative Therapies?
Treatment for chronic pain often involves multiple therapies, such as:
Medication
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Physical therapy
There are also complementary or supplemental techniques that can help manage pain, such as:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into specific body points to balance energy (qi) or stimulate nerves, muscles, or tissues. The therapy triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, neurotransmitters responsible for mood regulation and pain response.
A systematic review of 29 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 17,922 patients found that acupuncture significantly reduced pain in patients with chronic neck and back pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic headache (Vickers et al., 2012).
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Body scanning, meditation, breathwork, yoga, and guided imagery are just a few mindfulness techniques that may help relieve chronic pain. These approaches work to reduce pain and improve function by altering brain mechanisms that process pain.
In an RCT involving 90 patients with chronic pain, researchers found moderate-to-large effects in the experimental group. Patients reported a better ability to manage pain, a lower reliance on pain medications, and reduced anxiety symptoms, negative thinking, and self-blame (Pérez-Fernández et al., 2022).
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
This regenerative treatment uses your own blood platelets to stimulate healing, helping relieve chronic pain and inflammation.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 RCTs found that PRP injections led to a significant reduction in non-cancer-related chronic pain. Additionally, researchers discovered that the therapy demonstrated greater pain reduction than corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid (Wang et al., 2025).
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy uses extreme cold (typically nitrogen vapor) to decrease inflammation, nerve activity, and muscle spasms in people with chronic pain.
A narrative review of 25 studies suggests that both local and whole-body cryotherapy may reduce chronic pain and inflammation linked to various rheumatic and degenerative conditions (Garcia et al., 2020).
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy uses light energy to stimulate cell regeneration, increase circulation, and reduce inflammation, thereby achieving chronic pain relief.
A single-blinded randomized controlled trial involving 52 women with fibromyalgia found that high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) — delivered three times a week over six weeks — lowered pain intensity and fibromyalgia severity, and improved quality of life (Kelini et al., 2025).
Larger studies are necessary to confirm laser therapy’s effectiveness on chronic pain before it becomes part of standard treatment recommendations.
What Are Possible Complications?
Chronic pain that’s left unmanaged can significantly impact your quality of life. The condition can worsen existing chronic diseases, and can also contribute to mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. People with chronic pain also have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide (Stretanski et al., 2025).
Can Chronic Pain Be Prevented?
Chronic pain isn’t always preventable, especially if the cause is genetic. In most cases — particularly those following injuries or surgeries — chronic pain may be preventable by:
Addressing acute (short-term) pain early: Once you start experiencing pain, you should seek early medical intervention rather than pushing through it. A healthcare provider can identify what’s going on and recommend a treatment that relieves pain and prevents long-term complications.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: Make sure you prioritize sleep, engage in at least 150 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity, and schedule regular check-ups with your provider. You also want to ensure you’re eating a balanced diet of whole foods, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein-filled sources like lean meat, fish, eggs, and legumes.
Managing stress: Adopt healthy strategies to reduce tension, such as yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness, or engaging in your favorite hobbies. If stress is significantly impacting your daily life, consider seeking professional mental health support.
Having good posture: It’s important to maintain good posture when you’re sitting, standing, moving, stretching, and even sleeping. Sit with straight shoulders, distribute your weight evenly when standing, take short walking breaks to avoid prolonged slouching, do exercises that strengthen your core, and try to sleep on your side with a pillow under your knees to stabilize your spine.
If you need additional guidance, please reach out to a healthcare provider.
Takeaway
Chronic pain is a complex, yet manageable condition. A customized, multimodal treatment approach — combining medical care, mental health support, lifestyle adjustments, and regenerative therapies — could significantly improve your quality of life.
Intense, persistent pain can be debilitating over time, so if you suspect you have chronic pain, it’s best to speak with your provider to get a proper diagnosis and explore treatment options.
