This is a very generalized term that is often used to describe the condition of patients who have not had a successful result with spine surgery and have experienced continued pain after surgery. Chronic pain is ongoing or prolonged pain caused by an illness or injury. The medical definition of chronic pain is pain that has lasted for six months or longer. Pain specialists realize that many chronic pain conditions have no cure, so they focus on ways to manage the pain. No single treatment works best for everyone so a progression of therapies can be used until pain relief is reached.