Chronic pain is pain that has lasted for a long time. In medicine, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has traditionally been determined by an arbitrary interval of time since onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since onset, though some theorists and researchers have placed the transition from acute to chronic pain at 12 months. Others apply acute to pain that lasts less than 30 days, chronic to pain of more than six months duration, and subacute to pain that lasts from one to six months. A popular alternative definition of chronic pain, involving no arbitrarily fixed durations is “pain that extends beyond the expected period of healing Chronic pain may be divided into “nociceptive” (caused by activation of nociceptors), and “neuropathic” (caused by damage to or malfunction of the nervous system). Nociceptive pain may be divided into “superficial” and “deep”, and deep pain into “deep somatic” and “visceral”. Superficial pain is initiated by activation of nociceptors in the skin or superficial tissues. Deep somatic pain is initiated by stimulation of nociceptors in ligaments, tendons, bones, blood vessels, fasciae and muscles, and is dull, aching, poorly-localized pain. Visceral pain originates in the viscera (organs). Visceral pain may be well-localized, but often it is extremely difficult to locate, and several visceral regions produce “referred” pain when damaged or inflamed, where the sensation is located in an area distant from the site of pathology or injury. Neuropathic pain is divided into “peripheral” (originating in the peripheral nervous system) and “central” (originating in the brain or spinal cord). Peripheral neuropathic pain is often described as burning, tingling, electrical, stabbing, or pins and needles. Bumping the “funny bone” elicits peripheral neuropathic pain.