Once you know the cause of pain you can predict the treatment that will be most effective in relieving it. 

Sometimes patients are reluctant to undergo a long evaluation and testing process to get to a better understanding of their chronic pain.  However, proper diagnosis is the key to constructive treatment.
 
Sometimes pain is a warning that something's wrong.   When the underlying issue is identified and treated, the pain stops.  Sometimes chronic pain is due to a chronic condition, like arthritis.  In those cases, the disease and the stage it's in will determine the level and type of pain you experience and direct your doctor to specific therapies.  Occasionally, there's no evidence of disease or damage to tissues that doctors can directly link to pain, or pain remains after an original injury appears to be healed.  When the source of pain remains a mystery, treatment may have to be an educated sequence of trial and error. 
  
While there are many treatment options available to treat chronic pain, there's no single plan that works for everyone.  Unfortunately for patients who are often overwhelmed, impatient and perhaps even desperate, there's no magic bullet.  Doctors may need to try   many different kinds of treatments with some patients before they find the right balance between pain relief and their side effects.  The best approach is usually a combination of treatments.

Treatment options include:

• Oral medications.  Mild to moderate pain may be managed with non-prescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.  More severe pain may be treated by narcotic drugs.  Other drugs that have been effective in treating chronic pain include steroids, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants.
• Topical drugs.  These are anesthetics that are applied directly to the skin to numb the pain.
• Therapeutic exercise.  Exercise can strengthen weak muscles, mobilize stiff joints and increase range of motion.
• Heat and cold therapy.  Warmth can relieve pain by relaxing muscles. Cold relieves pain by reducing inflammation.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy.  CBT employs a range of relaxation techniques that help to relieve pain or improve the ability to tolerate it.
• Psychotherapy.  The primary goals for psychotherapy are to treat depression and anxiety caused by chronic pain and help patients develop and use coping skills.
• Complementary/Alternative Approaches.  These include acupuncture, acupressure, therapeutic massage and chiropractic care.
• Hypnosis. Not everyone can be hypnotized but studies have shown that 15 to 20% of people who can be hypnotized report dramatic relief of pain as a result.
• Neurostimulation therapy.  The stimulation of nerves through a low electrical current has proven effective in relieving some chronic pain. Techniques include transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS).
• Anesthesiologic approaches.  These include nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, spinal infusions and trigger point injections.
• Surgical approaches.  Surgical options include implantation of a small pump that continuously delivers pain-relieving medication and surgery to interrupt the pathways that send pain signals to the brain.