Half of people with back pain have lived with their pain for more than five years
13/09/2011
A new survey launched today of over 2,000 people in the UK suggests that nearly two thirds (62%) report they suffer from back pain,?a condition that costs the UK economy ?12.3 billion per year.?Of those surveyed, 80% have lived with their pain for at least a year?and 50% have suffered for more than five years.
?
Living with back pain has a devastating impact on daily life for people of all ages:
- A fifth (21%) say back pain affects their?ability to go to work (interestingly, this rises to a quarter (25%) among men aged 18-34 years)
- Over half (52%) say that they?lack the physical ability to perform daily activities;?and a quarter (25%), the emotional ability to perform daily activities
- 19% report an?impact on the sexual relationship?with their partner?(increasing to 29% among men aged 35-54 years)
- Nearly half (45%) report?low mood / depression?as a result of their back pain?(and this was particularly common among men and women aged 35 ? 54 years)
Of those surveyed, 60% of people with back pain have never heard of neuropathic (nerve-related) back pain, and 84% say their doctor has not even mentioned it to them.?This is despite the fact that as many as 37% of all cases of chronic lower back pain have a neuropathic component; with specific causes and symptoms, and requiring a different treatment approach.
?
"Back pain is often treated as a routine condition by GPs, despite the fact that it can lead to many repeat visits and unresolved complications for patients," said Dr Ollie Hart, a GP with a special interest in chronic pain, based in Sheffield.
?
He continued: "Neuropathic back pain is typically under-diagnosed but healthcare professionals can use simple checks including asking their patients some key questions about the specific types of pain they are experiencing, to help them quickly identify neuropathic back pain and ensure that they are prescribing the most effective treatments. The sorts of things they should be looking for are descriptions of freezing, shocking, crawling or burning pain. "
?
Reinforcing these findings is a second study ??the?Pain Drain Survey?? also launched today, conducted in partnership with the University of Barcelona both amongst people with neuropathic back pain, as well as healthcare professionals (HCPs). The survey showed that over 45% of patients waited more than 1 year (or were still waiting) for an effective treatment for their neuropathic pain.?In fact, 46% of respondents did not even consult a doctor the last time they suffered their pain, with the same percentage (46%) feeling that doctors cannot help them.
?
The survey also highlights discrepancies between the terms used to describe neuropathic back pain by HCPs and their patients,?leading to fundamental communication issues between the two groups - despite 89% of HCP respondents reporting that they rely on patient symptom description when making a diagnosis.?This could lead to missed opportunities for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of neuropathic back pain.
?
Sean McDougall, Chief Executive of BackCare says: ?This survey backs up what our members are telling us about the difficulty in obtaining timely and adequate treatment for all types of back pain. But the real shock is the increase in incidence of back pain in young people. The ?sit still? culture of schools and the workplace, combined with lack of exercise, is creating a healthcare timebomb. Unfortunately, the cost of implementing change is not being set against the likely cost savings. Consequently, millions of people aged 18-34 are destined to spend the next 60 years living with back pain.???
?
About Neuropathic Pain
?
Neuropathic pain, or ?nerve pain?,?is a persistent pain caused by damage to nerves or as a complication of a condition, such as diabetes, shingles or some lower?back problems.
?
Neuropathic pain feels different to pain from other conditions and there is often no injury or tissue damage to trigger the pain. Instead, the actual function of the nerve is affected in a way that causes it to transmit pain signals to the brain.? It is estimated that 37% of cases of chronic lower back pain have a neuropathic component.
?
Can You Feel My Pain? Campaign and Bill of Rights
?
Can You Feel My Pain? is a European health awareness campaign developed? and funded by Pfizer Ltd in collaboration with leading patient and citizen organisations across Europe, including Action on Pain, BackCare and Pain Concern in the UK.??
?
The campaign gives those affected by the condition a voice and calls on the public to help fight for the basic rights of people affected by chronic pain by signing a Bill of Rights, which highlights five key rights to help improve the lives of people affected by chronic pain. To date, the campaign has received over 5,000 pledges of support and anyone affected by the condition can add their voice to the campaign by signing the Bill of Rights at?the facebook page (see all links below) and?the Back-Care,?Pain Concern?and?Action on Pain websites. The campaign also invites people to share their experiences online through personal testimonies and photography to highlight the impact chronic pain has on their lives.?
?
The Can You Feel My Pain? campaign gives those affected by the condition a voice and calls on the public to help fight for the basic rights of people affected by chronic pain by signing a Bill of Rights, which highlights five key rights to help improve the lives of people affected by chronic pain.
?
To date, the campaign has received over 5,000 pledges of support and anyone affected by the condition can add their voice to the campaign by signing the Bill of Rights by following the links below.
?
The campaign also invites people to share their experiences online through personal testimonies and photography to highlight the impact chronic pain has on their lives.
Back Pain?Exposed ? A Visual SnapshotAn interactive event took place yesterday (13th?September 2011) during the morning commute behind London Liverpool Street station, as part of the ongoing Can You Feel My Pain? Campaign. A number of people with ?burnt out backs? intermingled with commuters during rush hour to symbolise burning pain, one of the sensations which can be experienced with neuropathic pain.
?
The awareness-raising activity was organised by Pfizer with support from national charity Back Care, to encourage the general public to better recognise and report neuropathic back pain and its symptoms.?
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন