Sufferers of CNCP (Chronic Non-Cancer Pain) report experiencing social stigma from various sources. Sufferers report that friends, family, coworkers, and more may doubt the severity of their pain, believe that they are exaggerating, or accuse them of seeking attention. 

Social Stigma and CNCP (Chronic Non-Cancer Pain)

CNCP is a specific medical categorization of chronic pain that does not include the type of body-wide pain caused by cancer. Common types of CNCP include chronic migraines, chronic back pain, chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, and more. In some cases, CNCP can be linked to a very specific cause or probable cause but in other cases a cause cannot be clearly identified. 

Claremont Graduate University

Chronic pain is often a symptom of chronic conditions/ disabilities, though not always. In the medical sphere, "chronic pain" is defined as pain that may be constant in some sense of come and go. Or, in the case of conditions that may have a cure or may "heal", chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts longer than three to six months.

Chronic Pain

Green, S. E., & Loseke, D. R. (Eds.). (2020). New narratives of disability : constructions, clashes, and controversies (First, Ser. Research in social science and disability, volume 11). Emerald Publishing. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from INSERT-MISSING-URL.

New Narratives of Disability: Constructions, Clashes, and Controversies

In the United States, appx 20% of adults experience chronic pain.

Chronic Pain Prevalence in the USA

CNCP (Chronic Non-Cancer Pain)

Chronic pain lacks clear biomedical causes, lasting 3+ months. Treatment uses biopsychosocial approaches targeting functioning despite pain. Patients seek biomedical explanations while practitioners target psychosocial factors. This mismatch creates interactional tension.

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