Guides
Neutral, sourced explainers. They describe how things work in Canada and point to official sources; they do not recommend treatments.
- What is chronic pain?Understand what chronic pain means, why it can continue, how it affects daily life, and how care may be approached in Canada.
- Acute pain and chronic pain: what is the difference?Learn the acute pain definition and meaning, how acute and chronic pain differ, and why duration alone does not explain a person’s experience.
- What is pain management?Learn what pain management means, what a pain management doctor may do, and what interventional pain management involves.
- Finding a pain clinic in CanadaHow referrals to chronic pain clinics work in Canada: family doctor referral, provincial programs, wait times and questions to ask. No directory.
- How to join a clinical trial in CanadaThe chronic pain clinical trial enrollment process in Canada: finding studies, eligibility, screening, informed consent and contacting study teams.
- How to read a ClinicalTrials.gov recordLearn how to review a ClinicalTrials.gov record, including study status, eligibility, design, outcomes, and limits of registry information.
- Understanding drug labels and monographsLearn how to identify the right drug label and understand US FDA prescribing information, Canadian Product Monographs, and the Drug Product Database.
- Interventional pain procedures explainedAn overview of nerve blocks, injections, radiofrequency ablation, pain pumps, and spinal cord stimulators, including questions to discuss with a clinician.
- Physical and movement therapies for painUnderstand physiotherapy, movement approaches, pacing, and questions to discuss when considering physical support for chronic pain.
- Psychological approaches and support for painLearn about CBT, counselling, peer support groups, and how psychological approaches can complement other chronic pain care.
- Complementary therapies and chronic painLearn what complementary therapies mean, what evidence can and cannot show, and how to discuss these approaches safely with a health professional.
- Diet, supplements, and chronic painUnderstand what is known about diet, supplements, interactions, and chronic pain, and how to evaluate health claims with a clinician.
- Cannabis and chronic pain in CanadaAn overview of Canadian cannabis law, medical access basics, evidence limits, and safety considerations for people with chronic pain.
- Disability benefits for chronic pain in CanadaLearn how CPP Disability, provincial disability programs, and workers compensation assess disability, and what documentation may be relevant.
- Chronic pain ICD-10 codes explainedA plain-language guide to chronic pain diagnosis codes, coding differences, ICD-10-CA in Canada, and ICD-11 chronic pain categories.