The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (CPCoE) was established to conduct research and help improve the well-being of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans, and their families, suffering from chronic pain.

According to Veterans Affairs Canada Life After Service Survey 2016, 40.5% of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans are suffering from chronic pain. This is twice the rate of the Canadian population. Furthermore, the study found that female Veterans specifically were suffering from chronic pain at an average rate of 50%. There is significant overlap, or co-morbidity, between mental health and chronic pain with over 63% of Veterans suffering from chronic pain reporting a mental health condition. Further research is ongoing into what makes chronic pain in Veterans unique.

Consultation and engagement with Veterans, which includes an Advisory Council for Veterans to advise on research priorities, began prior to establishing the organization and continues as a lasting priority. This ongoing engagement helps the CPCoE to develop a deeper and more thorough understanding of the day-to-day challenges Veterans, and their families, face because of their experience with chronic pain. That understanding is used to shape research to ensure that it will have a genuine and practical positive impact on the well-being of Veterans in pain.

Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centres or Clinics provide care through an interdisciplinary model where the physician, pharmacist, psychologist, and team work together to treat the patient or Veteran as a whole. The Centre of Excellence is grateful to work with a small number of Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centres for research purposes. Those research partners are listed on this map.

Veterans with recognized service-related injuries receive treatment benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). VAC has a list of approved Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centres (usually referred to as interdisciplinary clinics or IDCs) where Veterans can be funded to attend to receive care. In order to access interdisciplinary care in those locations, Veterans need to be approved by VAC through their treatment benefits. This is received through their Case Manager or a Case Worker, if they do not have a Case Manager. Veterans seeking interdisciplinary care for pain management should engage with their VAC Case Manager / Case Worker.

For general inquires: info@vcp-vdc.ca 1-833-644-HOPE (4673)

*Please note that the CPCoE is not a care provider.