While Alberta’s shift toward virtual and self-managed chronic pain care is improving access to services, some older adults are still learning how to manage their condition with less in-person support.
The Alberta Virtual Pain Program, launched in 2024 in partnership with the University of Calgary and provincial health providers, is continuing to expand across Alberta as demand for chronic pain services grows.
The program offers virtual support, education, and self-management tools for people living with chronic pain—reflecting a broader shift toward non-drug approaches and patient-led care.
Online delivery
Delivered online, it allows participants to access care from home, removing barriers like travel, wait times, and geographic distance.
According to Alberta Health Services, chronic pain affects about one in five Canadians, highlighting the need for more accessible and coordinated care.
A 2023 study by researchers in Alberta found that people living with chronic pain often rely on daily coping strategies and self-management to maintain quality of life, particularly when long-term treatment options are limited.
The participants in the study identified exercise, therapy, visits with medical professionals, self-advocacy, listening to their own body, modifications and adaptations, distraction, diet, and mental health resources as common strategies.
For Flora Dedora, an 84-year-old Red Deer resident who has chronic pain, that reality has meant adapting to ongoing pain while maintaining independence.
Over time, she has tried treatments including prescribed creams and an ultrasound therapy machine, but she has only ever found temporary relief.
Accepting what happens to you
Like many patients, Dedora said managing chronic pain often involves trial and error, with no single treatment providing complete success. Still, she said, outlook plays a key role in how she copes.
“You have to accept what happens to you,” Dedora said. “Happiness is something you create yourself.”
Staying active helps reduce discomfort and improve sleep.
“The busier I stay during the day, the better I feel,” Dedora said. “If I sit around all day doing nothing, I’ll wake up during the night, and everything aches.”
Self-management of pain vital to pain care
Health professionals say this type of self-management is increasingly central to chronic pain care.
Maria Enriquez, an athletic therapist at CE Sport Therapy, said patients are encouraged to take an active role in managing their condition.
“A lot of people expect a quick fix, but chronic pain management doesn’t work that way,” she said. “It’s about finding what works for each individual and building habits that support their daily function.”
Enriquez added that approaches such as guided exercise, manual therapy, and overall patient education help people better understand their pain and maintain mobility.
“We try to give people the tools to stay active and manage their symptoms outside of the clinic,” said Enriquez. “That’s where a lot of the long-term improvement comes from.”
Authors of the Alberta-based study recommended a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain that supports primary care physicians through collaboration with a range of health professionals, such as physiotherapists. They also encouraged patients to seek support from individuals, peer groups, and mental health resources.
This approach also recognizes the emotional toll of chronic pain. For Dedora, adapting to that reality comes down to perspective.
“Honestly, chronic pain doesn’t mean life stops,” said Dedora. “It just means you learn to keep moving and not let it take over your whole day.”
Clearer guidelines needed to help patients and doctors
Patients are becoming more aware of their responsibility in managing chronic pain, but more needs to be done.
The study called for clearer guidelines that would help both patients and physicians better understand and manage chronic pain, alongside improved training for doctors that incorporates the lived experiences of those affected.
These approaches align with broader efforts by Alberta Health Services to expand multidisciplinary and patient-centred care.
However, the shift toward virtual and self-managed care also places greater responsibility on patients to navigate treatment options independently.