Chronic pain

Pain is deeply personal — and often hard to communicate. Emerging AI technologies are changing that, offering more objective ways to assess pain through facial expressions, physiological data, and real-time tracking. In this article, we explore how AI is helping bridge the communication gap, especially for non-verbal or vulnerable patients, and what this means for the future of personalised, data-driven pain care.

Pain that doesn’t follow expected anatomical patterns, pain that spreads beyond the original site, or pain that feels “out of proportion” are familiar and often challenging presentations in general practice. One useful framework for understanding these symptoms is central sensitisation.

Pain is one of the most common — and often most complex — presentations seen in general practice. While the instinct to provide rapid solutions is completely understandable, persistent or chronic pain usually benefits from a coordinated, team-based approach that extends beyond imaging, procedures, or medication adjustments.

It’s a question often left unsaid in the consultation room, but heavily implied: “Is this pain even real?”
Functional pain — pain without identifiable tissue damage or structural pathology — continues to challenge clinicians and frustrate patients. It sits in that uncomfortable space between physical and psychological, where test results offer no answers, yet the patient’s suffering is very real.

It’s a question often left unsaid in the consultation room, but heavily implied: “Is this pain even real?”
Functional pain — pain without identifiable tissue damage or structural pathology — continues to challenge clinicians and frustrate patients. It sits in that uncomfortable space between physical and psychological, where test results offer no answers, yet the patient’s suffering is very real.

Most patients—and many clinicians—expect acute pain to resolve within a matter of weeks. But what happens when it doesn’t? When a patient continues to report pain three months or more after an injury, surgery, or onset of symptoms, it’s time to change the clinical lens. Pain that lingers past the 12-week mark is no longer considered “acute”—it has transitioned into the chronic or persistent pain category and requires a different management approach.

Opioids have long played a role in the management of chronic pain — but as the evidence base has evolved, so too has our understanding of their limitations, risks, and role in long-term care.