Alberta Health Services
Health Information
When you have chronic pain it can reach into nearly every part of life. Over time, it may lead to anxiety, depression, or trouble focusing. Chronic pain can also affect relationships and intimacy, and change routines like sleep, physical activity, or eating habits. There may be problems with finances because of missed work or paying for treatment. Your social connections can be affected if pain makes it harder to spend time with family, friends or community.
This can all feel overwhelming—but you’re not alone. Knowing the many ways pain can impact life is the first step toward finding tools, treatments, and supports that can help you cope, find balance, and improve your overall quality of life.
While chronic pain can affect many parts of life, there are things you can do and supports that can help you cope, stay connected, and improve your well-being.
In these workshops you will learn how pain works and practical techniques to help you stay active and prevent flare-ups.
The Alberta Virtual Pain Program (AVVP) offers free online support to help people understand and manage their ongoing pain. Through expert guidance, practical tools, self-paced resources, and peer support, the program makes it easier to find strategies that fit your life – right from the comfort of home.
These short videos offer practical ways to understand and manage chronic pain. Each video focuses on a different ways to live well with pain — from daily coping strategies to treatment options and safe medicine use.
Cannabinoids and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be used together to manage chronic pain. Cannabinoids may help reduce pain and inflammation, while CBT focuses on changing thought patterns and behaviours that can influence how pain is experienced.
These approaches can improve coping, mood, and overall quality of life for people living with chronic pain.
Living with pain can be challenging, but there are tools and strategies that can help. Learn how to pace your activities, manage stress, use relaxation techniques, and build healthy thinking patterns.
We have a range of health services and clinics for patients of all ages and their families. To access many of these services, you will need a referral(*) from a health professional. Talk to a doctor about which service is best for you.
(*) patient referral: a patient referral is a communication from one health care professional to another requesting that they accept you as a patient to evaluate your condition.
