Back pain If you or someone you know suffers with chronic pain, you’ll know how dramatically it can affect all aspects of life. Yet in the UK there is only one pain specialist available for every 32,000 people enduring pain.
The charity Pain Concern is aiming to open the lines of communication with a radio show, due to be aired on Tuesday, September 28 September at 11am (repeated at 8pm). They hope to provide sufferers with information and support via the radio show, which will feature pain experts and listener call-ins.
"Helping people to understand why they have persistent pain is the first step in successful self help," says consultant Dr Beverly Collett. "I hope that this programme will allow sharing of information in an informal setting, especially through the interaction with professionals in the Q&A sessions."
According to a report from the the Government’s Chief Medical Officer, chronic pain affects five million new people each year, of which only two thirds will actually recover. More than half of all chronic pain cases are caused by back problems or osteoarthritis.
Aside from the unpleasant emotions associated with pain, it has a knock-on effect on every other aspect of a person’s life too – physical and emotional. Sleeplessness is a side-effect, with 65 per cent of patients saying they have trouble sleeping. This in turn impacts on emotional wellbeing, as well as day-to-day activities such as shopping, cleaning or even spending time with friends or relatives. Depression is also a common side-effect – 49 per cent of patients with chronic pain suffer with depression.
If you would like to know more, or to talk to someone about pain you are going through yourself, please visit www.painconcern.org.uk or call 0844 499 4676.
Airing Pain's first programme will be on Able Radio, and listeners can hear it broadcast on the internet or as a podcast.
First published September 23, 2010