The nervous system is a complex, highly specialized network. It organizes, explains, and directs interactions between you and the world around you. The nervous system controls:

Pain is your body’s normal reaction to an injury or illness, a warning that something is wrong. When your body heals, you usually stop hurting.

For some, pain continues after the initial cause is gone. About 25 percent of people with chronic pain will go on to have a condition called complex (chronic) pain syndrome. This takes a toll on both physical and emotional health.

Chronic pain syndrome is complex and poorly defined. Most doctors consider pain that lasts longer than six months as chronic pain syndrome.

Chronic abdominal pain is pain that is present for more than three months. It may be present all the time, or it may come and go (referred to as “recurrent pain”). Causes include:

Healthy bones can support quite a bit of pressure, but when vertebrae become soft or weakened by osteoporosis, they can fracture easily. Osteoporosis causes bones to lose their density and become very brittle. Fractures can happen even from simple movements that don’t seem dangerous. Osteoporosis is the most frequent cause of a vertebral compression fracture and its subsequent pain.

Back and neck pain comes in many forms. Acute pain heals within a few days or weeks, often on its own. Chronic pain leaves you hurting for at least three months. At Weill Cornell Medicine, our team of pain management specialists brings relief for all types of pain affecting the back or neck to help improve quality of life.

At Weill Cornell Medicine Division of Pain Management, our team of expert physicians understands the importance of making an accurate diagnosis for pain. We understand that pain is complex and challenging to live with — and that receiving a diagnosis and treatment plan can be a great source of comfort in and of itself.

At Weill Cornell Medicine Division of Pain Management, our expert physicians put your quality of life first.

Chronic muscle pain is often difficult and complex to treat: there is no cure or single treatment that provides relief. Our highly trained pain management physicians use a multidisciplinary approach and tailor every treatment plan to each individual patient.

Arthritis frequently affects the low back and the sacroiliac joint, which connects the base of the spine to the hip joint. Often arthritis pain can mimic low-back or buttock pain.

Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by changes in the shape and size of the spinal canal. This typically occurs because of aging and natural wear and tear.

Common symptoms of spinal stenosis include: