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Canadian Pain Task Force Online Consultation

Thank you for your interest in this consultation with the Canadian Pain Task Force towards an improved approach to better understand, prevent, and manage pain in Canada. 

The online consultation is now closed, and written submissions are no longer being accepted. 

Feedback provided from the consultation will inform a report identifying best and leading practices, potential areas for improvement, and elements of an improved approach to pain management in fall 2020. 

For more information on the Task Force, please visit the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/canadian-pain-task-force.html  

Keep in touch with us via email at CPTF cptfsecretariatsecretariatgtcsld@canada.ca 

Sincerely, 

Canadian Pain Task Force

The Canadian Pain Task Force is leading a national consultation. Our aim is to help the Government of Canada better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain.

We invite you to share your experience and ideas on this topic. Your input will shape our report to Health Canada in June 2020. At that time we will outline elements of an improved approach to pain in Canada.

This consultation will be open online from February 27 to May 29, 2020.

It will take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire, depending on how much input you would like to give. You can save your work at any point and submit your response any time before the closing date. Please note, for your input to be considered, you must click SUBMIT on the last page of the questionnaire.

We encourage you to share the questionnaire with others. Please include your family, friends and anyone else you may know who would like to improve how we address pain in Canada.

You may also wish to review the first Task Force report for background information. That report describes current strengths and weaknesses across the following themes:

We encourage you to think about any of these themes that are important to you when giving your input.

For more information about the Task Force, please visit the Canadian Pain Task Force web page: Link.

Before participating, please review the Privacy Notice. It will give you information on your privacy rights.

The Canadian Pain Task Force is leading a national consultation. Our aim is to help the Government of Canada better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain.

We invite you to share your experience and ideas on this topic. Your input will shape our report to Health Canada in June 2020. At that time we will outline elements of an improved approach to pain in Canada.

This consultation will be open online from February 27 to May 29, 2020.

It will take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire, depending on how much input you would like to give. You can save your work at any point and submit your response any time before the closing date. Please note, for your input to be considered, you must click SUBMIT on the last page of the questionnaire.

We encourage you to share the questionnaire with others. Please include your family, friends and anyone else you may know who would like to improve how we address pain in Canada.

You may also wish to review the first Task Force report for background information. That report describes current strengths and weaknesses across the following themes:

We encourage you to think about any of these themes that are important to you when giving your input.

For more information about the Task Force, please visit the Canadian Pain Task Force web page: Link.

Before participating, please review the Privacy Notice. It will give you information on your privacy rights.

Tell your story

Share your personal experience with pain. 

Your personal experience is important to us. We want to know about the impact of pain on your life and/or on the lives of those you care for.

  • How has pain affected your life?
  • Please describe the pain you have experienced and/or are experiencing. 
  • What challenges have you faced?
  • What has helped you the most?

We are interested in hearing from everyone, including people living with pain, health care providers, caregivers, family and friends, and others interested in this area.

All comments submitted will be reviewed prior to posting to ensure that any content that identifies a third party or involves the use of inappropriate language/behavior will be removed. Before participating, please review the Privacy Notice.

Thank you for having the courage to share your personal experience

Your responses have been received.

If you wish, you may return to the Canadian Pain Task Force consultation page.


CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

  • Atypical or uncommon pain pesentations

    by Gwen, over 4 years ago
    Like Just major pain

    With undergrad in kinesiology, grad in chiropractic and over 2250 hrs post graduate studies, (including 3 yrs occupational health, 3 yrs rehabilitation, 3 yrs whiplash assoc. disorders) .. one might say I have the training for examination & treatment of many pain disorders. Prior equestrian & skiing injuries lead to 3 consecutive compression fractures and in 1996, I had spinal surgery & stabilization via titanium cage in vertebral body of T8 and pedicle screws T7 & 9. This forced me to retire from private practice & 10 years later also my resignation from concurrent efforts on... Continue reading

  • Disability, Pain, and Perinatal Health

    by PregnancyandDisability, over 4 years ago

    I am researcher based at the University of Toronto writing to share the experiences of women with physical disabilities with regard to pain in the perinatal period. Much of what I share below is from my doctoral dissertation: Tarasoff, L.A. (2018). A Qualitative Study of Embodiment among Women with Physical Disabilities during the Perinatal Period and Early Motherhood. University of Toronto.

    The most commonly reported types of disability among women in Canada are those related to pain, limits to flexibility (i.e., limited ability to bend down and pick up an object from the floor and/or with reaching in any... Continue reading

  • Canadians deserve full access to chiropractic health care

    by leo lambchop, over 4 years ago

    Dear Reader,

    I have been a Chiropractor since 1982. When I graduated I thought that the sky was the limit providing chiropractic services to a suffering, needy public. The concept of wellness, wholistic health and natural alternatives to health including back pain treatment seemed to be the way the public was going. At that time, OHIP covered part of a chiropractic visit. Patients still had to pay for their chiropractic care as compared to seeing a medical doctor which was fully covered. Still, I remained optimistic that this would change and we would be fully recognized. This was not the... Continue reading

  • A defigning moment - I thought I might have a few breaths left to live!

    by thecoffeedoc, over 4 years ago

    I have had pain and many injuries, affect my life and almost end my life. More on this later. This is my story - I actually held back several other recoveries to injuries I have had over the years, for the sake of time.

    The pain I have experienced in my life, is from several events that could be looked at as bad events or challenging events that I had an opportunity to learn from. I was a very physically active boy, I loved sports, and over the years of competitive baseball, football, wrestling and polevaulting, there tends to be... Continue reading

  • Impacts of Pain in my Life...

    by Jo79, over 4 years ago

    Pain has impacted my life; both emotionally and physically. I've suffered from lower back pain since my early 20s.


    When I first started to experience "pain" I didn't even know it was considered pain because I wasn't familiar with it. About 10 years ago, my sister; who was going to Chiro school at that time; asked me to explain what I was feeling in my lower back and she asked me to describe the feeling and then she called it pain. I didn't know that feeling "pins and needles" was also considered a type of pain.


    Before things got really... Continue reading

  • always in pain

    by mdw1, over 4 years ago

    I recently had knee replacement surgery. It took 8 years to get it. Most surgeons will not even look at you seriously until you hit that magic number (old enough). Since I had a knee cap that would randomly dislocate, I had had many bad falls over the course of the last eight years. So lucky me, I now have a knee that works but my back is too messed up to let me get back to work. I should also mention that I had full reconstructive surgery on my knee when very young which did help for about 9... Continue reading

  • Triple hip replacement

    by Edm62, over 4 years ago

    I wish I was able to return to work.

    I underwent 6 surgeries in just over 3 months and had 3 different hip prosthesis put in, I spent a total of 35 days in hospital and another 42 days on 24/7 antibiotic IV. I now live with constant pain as the incision was continually cut larger; I believe the tendon was nearly severed and I present now with a crevasse on my thigh. I require a cane for ambulation and can no longer perform any work that requires a lot of walking or carrying anything needing 2 hands. I am... Continue reading

  • Chronic Pain is a Terminal Diagnoses

    by jennypuff, over 4 years ago

    Nobody realizes how close we are to death, despite not being terminal. What they don't understand is chronic pain is terminal. It will eventually kill. It will deteriorate your mental health until you are a shell of who you used to be, and take the joy away from your life.

    We need help from our health care providers, teachers, and government. We can all be working class citizens if we are given the treatment and support that we need, but nothing is funded and nothing is working.

    I have chronic migraine. 28 days a month, at my worst. Un-medicated, 15... Continue reading

  • My Journey with Pain

    by Frida, over 4 years ago

    I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to everyone on this task force for their time, expertise and their invaluable work. Also, I would like to thank the many medical professionals who dedicate their work, and often the better part of their lives, to alleviating the suffering of those living with chronic pain. I have been trying to write this submission for several weeks. I am indecisive about which details to include and which to forego. There are many. Please consider the cumulative effect of all the details I have mentioned here and the many that still line... Continue reading

  • I wish I was terminal

    by FerretLadyC, over 4 years ago

    My condition is complicated. I have a fused spine (T2-L5), scoliosis, degenerative disk disease and other issues with nerve damage. Some days I can’t lift my feet more than an inch. Some days I can walk slowly but unassisted. I wake up each day not knowing how the pain will control me.

    I had an amazing, physical career until the pain became so bad I literally could not breathe, could not move. I’ve experienced a 10 on the pain scale. My standard level now is around 5-6, thanks to a brilliant surgeon that too 2 years to get in to... Continue reading