Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, New Brunswick
Patient resources
Free, reliable material for people living with chronic pain and their families. Canadian sources come first; each link shows its language.
Understanding chronic pain
Canadian Pain Task Force Report (2021) (opens in a new tab)
Canada’s national action plan on pain. Explains that pain lasting longer than 3 months is called chronic and affects about 1 in 5 people in Canada.
Rapport du Groupe de travail canadien sur la douleur (2021) (opens in a new tab)
The French version of the national action plan on chronic pain.
About Pain (opens in a new tab)
Plain-language information about pain and chronic pain from a Canadian non-profit.
Chronic pain (opens in a new tab)
A public health service guide to what chronic pain is and how it can be managed.
Tame the Beast (opens in a new tab)
A short video and stories that explain how the nervous system can keep producing pain, and why that understanding can help.
Self-management and support
Resource Centre (opens in a new tab)
A searchable national directory of free courses, support groups, videos and guides for people living with pain.
Living with chronic pain (opens in a new tab)
Practical tips on pacing, sleep, mood and staying active day to day.
Retrain Pain (opens in a new tab)
Free short lessons on pain science and self-care, available in many languages.
Programme d’autogestion « Agir pour moi » (opens in a new tab)
A free 8-week online self-management program for chronic pain, developed at Université Laval (in French).
Gérer ma douleur (opens in a new tab)
A French-language portal of reviewed resources on pain education, sleep, physical activity and emotions.
Association québécoise de la douleur chronique (opens in a new tab)
A patient association offering free information, conferences and peer support in French.
Physiotherapy, exercise and movement
The Value of Physiotherapy (opens in a new tab)
Summaries of the evidence on physiotherapy, including for low back pain and musculoskeletal conditions.
Association canadienne de physiothérapie (opens in a new tab)
The national physiotherapy association’s site in French, with information about the profession.
24-Hour Movement Guidelines (opens in a new tab)
Canada’s guidelines on physical activity, sitting and sleep for every age group. A French version is available on the site.
Exercises for back pain (opens in a new tab)
Video-guided back exercises with advice on how much discomfort is acceptable and how to progress gradually.
Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 (opens in a new tab)
How much activity adults should aim for each week, explained simply.
Canadian organizations
Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (opens in a new tab)
A research centre focused on the well-being of Veterans with chronic pain, with information for Veterans and families. It is not a care provider.
La Société canadienne de la douleur (opens in a new tab)
Canada’s professional pain society, with information on pain research and education (French page).
Links checked October 25, 2026.