That twinge in your back after moving a heavy box? Probably normal. The ache that sticks around for weeks or months, even after you’ve healed? That’s something different.
Pain is your body’s way of saying something’s wrong. But sometimes, the message doesn’t stop even after the problem’s fixed. That’s when it can cross into chronic pain, and knowing the difference matters.
“Pain is considered chronic when it lasts longer than three months,” says Safwan Zar, MD, a pain management specialist with the Hartford HealthCare Pain Treatment Center in Milford. “At that point, the pain is no longer serving a protective purpose. Instead, it becomes its own condition.”
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