Pain has been viewed in the past as many things, ranging from a philosophical concept to a religious manifestation of wrong doing. It is now recognized as a complex phenomenon with biological, psychological, social and spiritual issues needing to be considered. Pain chronicity potentially impacts greatly on an individual's well being, requiring management, rather than treatment aimed at a cure. Medical management may in many cases reinforce the characteristics exhibited by patients with chronic pain. It may raise their hopes and expectations of a cure and total pain relief, which is not realistic — chronic pain is unlikely to go away. Therefore, patients should be encouraged to get on and live with their condition, by taking control and managing their illness and health, rather than being controlled by it.

Self-management of health by patients with any chronic illness is well established. The aim is to provide the person with the knowledge and skills to enable them to become the active participant in their day-to-day management. In doing so the emphasis and responsibility of a patient's health shifts from the doctor in the health care environment, to the patient in their home environment. Self-management of health, implemented through a multidisciplinary team (MDT) offers a comprehensive approach to this.