One in eight in chronic pain: public has poor understanding

Chronic (long term) pain affects one in eight people, according to a phone survey of 1643 New Zealanders aged over 18 years. The Pfizer New Zealand Health Report: Chronic Pain was published on 9 May 2012 by Pfizer New Zealand in partnership with Arthritis New Zealand. Among those who report chronic pain, 47% say it is from a diagnosed condition, 38% say it followed surgery or an accident, and 10% say doctors cannot find a cause. Twenty-four per cent of sufferers say chronic pain greatly affects their ability to hold down a job, twice that many that it greatly affects their ability to enjoy sport and leisure activities and, over 50% say, their ability to sleep. On questioning, many with chronic pain report that non-sufferers have little understanding or doubt the reality of chronic pain, demonstrated by the 35% of all survey respondents who think chronic pain is an excuse for people who don't want to work. While 58% of those with chronic pain receive treatment for it, about one in four of those are dissatisfied with it to some degree and fewer than one in three had visited a pain specialist. Arthritis New Zealand Chief Executive Sandra Kirby says the report findings emphasise the urgent need for a national pain strategy to provide further education, resources, and information to both patients and healthcare professionals about lifestyle and treatment options for those living with chronic pain.

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