Introduction

Tuesday, 05 April 2005 16:51
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Pain is the most common symptom for which patients seek care

Markenson 2002

Pain is too often under-diagnosed and under-treated

Dr. Douglas Justins, President of the Pain Society, November 2002


This article aims to highlight the deficiencies of the services currently available and suggest a possible alternative.

This article aims to highlight the deficiencies of the services currently available and suggest a possible alternative.

The scale of the problem

Recent estimates indicate an annual NHS cost of around ?481 million ([1]) for back pain alone, with some 5 million adults consulting a doctor ([2]) about the problem and about 52 million working days lost.

Whilst many studies cite around 7% incidence of chronic pain, a recent MORI poll on behalf of the organisation Action On Pain found that 23% of the population have chronic pain (CP).

The two most common reasons are low back pain and arthritis.

More than 70% of patients with chronic pain who are taking painkillers are still in pain.  (Pain Relief Foundation)

CSAG figures suggest estimated lost production costs approximately ?3.8 billion for the UK economy and DSS benefits ?1.4 billion.([3])


[1] Maniadakis N, Gray AM Pain 2000; 84 (1): 95-103 The Economic Burden of Back Pain in the UK

[2] Back Pain Bandolier website www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band19/b19-1-html

[3] Clinical Standards Advisory Group Back Pain 2000 HMSO ISBN no. 0 11 3218877