It's really nice to meet you. I would agree that you defininety fit the defination of chronic pain. I'm constantly in pain, but sometimes the levels are fairly low, while other times I face terrible flares of pain just like you. Through six years of experimentation, I have yet to find a medicinal way to effectively control my pain. If you want to feel the best you can, it takes a lot of work. If you can make sure that your surroundings are pleasing, listen to pleasing music, or do something which demands your attention, such as talking, then your pain will seem much less. Scientists say that the human spine is only capable of carrying a limited amount of sensory information, and if you use as much as you can on other things, there is just not as much room left for the pain. It may sound a bit unusual, but it works for me. Anyway, I'm glad you came here, and hope that you'll return. Good luck and God bless.

Idealist