One of the problems with chronic pain is that it is always there. It is made worse by stress, anger and frustration so it is very important not to get wound up by things out of your control. Like waiting in a traffic jam, shopping, watching sport. It is also important to pace oneself but from time to time the every day stress and strain of living breaks through and the added adrenalin in blood stream, tight muscles and negative thinking bring the pain from the background to the foreground; and thats a flare-up.