Prognosis

Patients with chronic pain usually experience symptoms lasting several months to years.[101] Patients reporting pain persisting more than 3 months should be actively treated and not recommended to wait for spontaneous improvement.

Back pain

In most cases, episodes of acute back pain resolve with conservative, symptomatic treatment.[102]

Back pain that persists beyond the acute period often persists long-term.[103][104][105]

Myofascial pain

Symptoms characteristically persist long-term, often waxing and waning with periods of more and less disabling pain. For example, a survey of patients with chronic myofascial pain at one centre reported an average pain duration prior to evaluation of 63 months, with a range of 6 to 180 months.[106]

Fibromyalgia

Complete remission from fibromyalgia occurs rarely.[107] However, most patients experience substantial symptomatic improvement and reduced reliance on medicines when followed over 3 years.[108]

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