Pain is the body’s response to injury. If you touch a hot burner on the stove, the body’s natural reflex is to send a message that it hurts! This immediate message enables you to respond fast enough to move your hand away from the burner. While this example may be oversimplified, pain helps keep you safe.

Chronic pain on the other hand, is not a natural response. This is pain that, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases “lasts beyond the expected time for healing and interferes with normal life.” Chronic pain may include constant tightness, stiffness, or an “aching” feeling in joints and muscles. Chronic physical pain may also affect a person’s emotions.