NATIONAL PAIN WEEK – AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT PAIN

Australia needs to talk about pain.

28 July 2022

Painaustralia, the peak lobby group for the 1 in 5 people suffering from chronic pain, believes Australia needs to have a conversation about pain.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pain Australia, Giulia Jones, says that pain needs to be looked at—not just as something that’s associated with other medical conditions, but a condition IN and OF itself.

“We all think we know what pain is about, but do we?

“The most recent research from around the world indicates that just prescribing medication is not the whole answer, that there is a need for a much more holistic approach.

“There’s much more to proper pain management that just which medicine to prescribe. It is about people reengaging with life, living with pain and moving life forward despite the pain while managing it as well as possible.”

This week experts as part of National Pain Week have been discussing the 4 Ps of pain management:

• Physician care
• Pharmacology
• Psychology and
• Physical movement.

Mrs Jones says we as a community need to start a conversation about how we manage pain, and this week provides the perfect opportunity to start that discussion.

National Pain Week was launched on Monday, by Chronic Pain Australia, with the release of a survey of 1500 people living with chronic pain that found the costs involved in managing pain was so expensive many people had to cut back on food to pay for their medication.

“The survey found more than half of the respondents are paying $200 or more a month to manage their pain and struggle to make ends meet.

“We, as a community, have a problem with pain. One in five Australians are suffering from chronic pain. We all think we know how to manage it, but do we?

People living with long term pain need a personalised mix of physician care, social engagement, psychological uplift, physical movement, and physiotherapy as well as restoration of confidence and hope, this is what multidisciplinary pain care can achieve.

“But to date the broader community does not understand long term pain, and this type of care really needs to be expanded so that everyone in long term pain is able to access and afford the right multidisciplinary pain care.

We can do better in pain management, and we can give 1 in 5 Australians a better experience of life lived with chronic pain.

“So, let’s start this conversation right now”

To kickstart the conversation, please call Giulia Jones on 0439 958 298

Media enquiries please contact Giulia Jones on 0439 958 298