Chronic Pain Survey
A survey sponsored by the American Pain Society, American Academy of Pain Medicine, and Janssen Pharmaceutica, released in February 1999, has revealed that more than 4 out of 10 people with moderate to severe chronic pain have not found adequate pain relief.
About The Survey
The survey involved 805 people who had experienced pain for at least six months and described their pain as 5 or higher on a scale of 1-10 with 10 indicative of "the worst pain imaginable". The source of pain for the people surveyed was arthritis, back disorders, and other causes, but not cancer.
Study Findings
The majority of people surveyed reportedly had difficulty with daily activities such as:
The problems intensified among those rating their pain as severe (8, 9, or 10). Among those people in the severe category, one in 5 people visited an emergency room at least once in the past year for reasons relating to their pain.
56% of the survey participants reportedly suffered with pain for more than 5 years, but only 22% were referred to a specialized pain clinic or treatment program. Of the people currently under treatment for severe pain, 49% were being seen by a family doctor or internist as opposed to a specialist.
Changing Doctors
47% of chronic pain patients surveyed had changed doctors at least once. 29% of people with very severe pain had switched doctors 3 or more times. Reasons given for searching for a new doctor included:
- too much pain (42 %)
- doctor knew little about pain treatment (31%)
- doctor didn't take pain seriously (29%)
- unwillingness of doctor to treat pain aggressively (27%)
Pain Medications
Only about 26% of people surveyed with severe pain were being treated with opioid drugs (such as morphine) at the time of the survey. It is the opinion of experts that some patients would benefit greatly from opioid drugs though the drugs are not suitable for everyone. The public and professionals need more education about the use of opioids for the treatment of chronic pain. Pain specialists may be helpful partners when assessing the best treatment for chronic pain patients, including both drug therapy and non-drug therapies.
Related Resources
Source: New Survey Of People With Chronic Pain Reveals Out-Of-Control Symptoms, PRNewswire 2/17/99
