Calls for European governments to tackle chronic pain in communities
Today a team of European pain experts issued an official report urging governments to take stronger measures towards preventing chronic pain and treating the 146.6 million Europeans who suffer from it.
The OPENMinds report underlines the necessity of addressing chronic pain urgently.
Every year chronic back pain alone costs the British economy a staggering £12.3 billion. Costs are incurred from employee absenteeism, disability benefits and costs of medication on the National Health Service.
Experts are troubled by the sheer volume of people suffering from chronic pain in communities across the UK. Research carried out in 2003 shows that 1/3 of all sufferers have been left untreated.
Chronic pain is pain that lasts for weeks, months and sometimes years. It can drastically reduce the quality of an individual’s life and lead to other problematic conditions such as depression.
Professional members of OPENMinds believe that chronic pain is often disregarded or misdiagnosed due to a lack of knowledge or understanding about the condition. The report demands that, among other strategies, efforts should be made by governments to educate both health professionals and the general public on the nature and effects of chronic pain.
Access to pain relief is a human right recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Human Rights Watch. OPENMinds urges this factor to be taken into account by governments to encourage prioritisation.
Consultant in Pain Medicine and Director of the Analgesics and Pain Research unit, Dr Magdi Hanna, said: “by implementing our recommendations, national governments will be taking a step towards reducing human suffering and reducing the massive strain on costs linked to uncontrolled chronic pain.”
People suffering from chronic pain usually try a variety of treatments only to find that nothing works. Hypnotherapy can effectively reduce symptoms of chronic pain and relieve associated stress with relaxation techniques. If you are interested in talking to a hypnotherapist, please visit the Hypnotherapy Directory.
View original article at Medical News Today