Chronic wounds require complex care because they have a myriad of causes and complications. A painful, chronic wound often indicates that there is something wrong and that it needs to be corrected. Treating the cause of the chronicity should involve determining the correct diagnosis and initiating appropriate wound pain treatment. The chronic wound pain paradigm outlined in this article provides a foundation on which a structured approach to optimising pain management in chronic wounds can be built. By listening to the patient’s perspective, optimal wound and pain management can be combined with successful outcomes.