Chronic pain resources

On this page

• Canada-wide services
• Provincial and territorial resources
• Power Over Pain portal
• For Veterans
• For tradespersons
• For Indigenous Peoples
• For children, parents, and caregivers
• Chronic pain, mental health, and substance use
• For health care providers

Canada-wide services

• Pain Canada
• Canadian Pain Society
• Chronic Pain Network
• People in Pain Network
• Arthritis Society Canada: Pain Management Resources
• McMaster University – Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre
• Online Therapy Unit – Chronic Health Conditions Course
• Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI)

Provincial and territorial resources

Power Over Pain portal

Power Over Pain is a direct response to Health Canada's Action Plan for Pain in Canada. The portal provides free resources, including:

• courses
• workshops
• articles
• videos
• podcasts
• peer support

For Veterans

The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans is a research centre focusing on improving the well-being of Veterans with chronic pain. A number of resources are available, including:

• advice guides
• podcasts
• webinars
• publications

Please note that the Centre of Excellence is not a care provider, but they do include a list of clinics.

For tradespersons

Trades work is physically demanding and stressful. Resources and information on chronic pain and substance use are available specifically for people working in the trades.

For Indigenous Peoples

Hope for Wellness Help Line

Call 1-855-242-3310 (toll-free) or connect to the online Hope for Wellness chat.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples seeking emotional support, crisis intervention, or referrals to community-based services.

Support is available in English and French and, by request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.

Aboriginal Children's Hurt and Healing (ACHH) Initiative

The ACHH Initiative is working with communities and clinicians to bridge the gap in the understanding of Indigenous children's pain and hurt and improve healthcare experiences.

For children, parents, and caregivers

• Solution for Kids in Pain (SKIP)
  • A national knowledge mobilization network that seeks to improve children's pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions through coordination and collaboration
• Pediatric Pain Management Standard

Chronic pain, mental health, and substance use

Health Canada has a number of related resource pages for getting help with concurrent mental health and substance use.

• Get help with substance use
• Mental health support

For health care providers

• American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA)
• The 2017 Canadian Guideline for Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
• Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health: Evidence on pain management
• The College of Family Physicians of Canada: Chronic non-cancer pain management and opioid resources
• International Association for the Study of Pain
• The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain
• The ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Chronic Pain & Opioid Stewardship Canada