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Chronic pain

Exploring comprehensive care options for persistent pain conditions

AHPRA-registered Clinicians
Australian-owned and operated
Telehealth nationwide
You should not have to prove your pain to be believed. A LeafLine Clinic assessment starts by listening to your full history.

What chronic pain is

Chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond the normal healing time after an illness or injury, generally more than three to six months. It is also called persistent pain, and it is present on most days rather than coming and going with a clear cause. Around one in five people in Australia live with it.

Acute pain has a job. It tells you that something is wrong, and it settles as the injury heals. Chronic pain continues after that point, and for many people it stops behaving like a symptom of an injury and starts behaving like a condition of its own.

Part of the reason is that the nervous system itself changes. Nerves can become more sensitive than usual, and the brain can start reading ordinary signals as pain. This is why scans and blood tests often come back normal for people whose pain is severe, constant and entirely real. A normal test result rules things out. It does not rule your pain out.

A cup of tea on a windowsill in dawn light

Common symptoms

  • Persistent aching, burning, or sharp pain
  • Reduced mobility or stiffness
  • Difficulty sleeping because of discomfort
  • Fatigue and reduced energy
  • Changes in mood, including anxiety or low mood
  • Difficulty concentrating or completing daily tasks
  • Sensitivity to touch or to temperature change

What causes chronic pain

Chronic pain can follow from a wide range of conditions. The most common in Australia include back and neck pain, arthritis and joint pain, endometriosis and pelvic pain, migraine, fibromyalgia, nerve damage from diabetes, and pain that continues after surgery or an injury.

For a significant number of people, no single cause is ever identified. That outcome is common enough to be unremarkable clinically, though it is frustrating to live with, and it does not change how the pain is assessed or taken seriously.

How chronic pain is assessed

A general practitioner is usually the first point of contact. An assessment covers your pain history, what makes it better or worse, what you have already tried, how it affects sleep, work and daily function, and your other health conditions and medicines. Examination and tests are used mainly to identify or exclude an underlying cause rather than to measure the pain itself.

There is no test that measures pain. Clinicians rely on what you describe, which is why a clear account of your own history carries real weight. Pain scales and a pain or symptom diary are commonly used to track patterns over time.

From there, a GP may refer to a specialist or to a multidisciplinary pain service. Waiting times for public pain services vary considerably between states and between metropolitan and regional areas.

How chronic pain is usually managed in Australia

Australian practice treats chronic pain as something managed across several fronts at once rather than solved by one intervention. A management plan commonly combines:

  • Physiotherapy, graded exercise and movement programmes
  • Psychological therapies, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Activity pacing, so that good days are not followed by a crash
  • Relaxation techniques, mindfulness and sleep strategies
  • Medicines, which may include paracetamol, anti-inflammatories, and some antidepressant or anticonvulsant medicines used specifically for pain

Opioids are not usually recommended for most types of chronic pain. For many people the realistic goal is better function and better sleep rather than the complete elimination of pain, and a plan is built around what matters most in your own life.

Before you book

What a consultation covers

A structured review of your health with an AHPRA-registered Clinician, by video or telephone.

  1. Your history

    A consultation with a LeafLine Clinic Clinician is a structured review of your health. Your Clinician takes your history, including how long the pain has been present, what has already been tried and what happened, your current medicines, your other conditions, and how your days actually run.

  2. What you have already tried

    Your Clinician will discuss your concerns and review your previous treatments: what has been tried, what happened, and what you are taking now.

  3. The options

    Your Clinician explores appropriate management options based on clinical judgement and your individual circumstances. Specific treatment options can only be discussed and decided during a private consultation with a qualified Clinician.

  4. Whether this clinic is right for you

    Some people are not suitable for care through this clinic, and where that is the case your Clinician will say so during the consultation and discuss where to go next.

When to seek medical support

See a doctor if pain is affecting your sleep, mood, work or ability to manage day to day, or if it has changed in character. Seek urgent care for pain that comes on suddenly and severely, follows a significant injury, or is accompanied by weakness, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, or unexplained weight loss. For medical emergencies, call 000.

Common questions

How long does pain have to last before it is called chronic?

Chronic pain is generally defined as pain that persists beyond the normal healing time for an illness or injury, which is usually taken to be more than three to six months. It is also called persistent pain.

My scans came back normal. Does that mean the pain is not real?

No. There is no test that measures pain, and normal imaging is common in people with severe persistent pain. Scans and blood tests are used to identify or exclude an underlying cause, not to confirm that pain exists. Changes in how the nervous system processes signals can produce significant pain with no visible structural finding.

Do I need a referral to book a consultation about chronic pain?

No referral is required. Eligibility screening is the way in: seven questions, about 90 seconds, and it is confidential. Not everyone who completes it is suitable for care through this clinic.

What should I have ready for a consultation about persistent pain?

A list of your current medicines and doses, a short history of what you have already tried and what happened, any relevant specialist letters or scan reports, your Medicare number, and your regular GP's details. If you have kept a pain or symptom diary, bring it.

Can chronic pain be cured?

For some people the underlying cause can be treated and the pain settles. For many others, particularly where pain has persisted for years, the realistic aim is better function, better sleep and fewer bad days rather than the complete removal of pain. Australian practice manages chronic pain across several approaches at once rather than through any single one.

About this page

This page is general health information about a condition. It is not a description of any treatment, it is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for an assessment by a qualified practitioner. Decisions about your care are made with your Clinician, in a consultation, based on your own history.

Last reviewed 7 September 2026. Written by Umar Khan, CEO.

Sources

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