- Almost half of all those suffering from chronic pain
are less than 50 years old, claims a survey.
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- In the UK one in seven are in constant pain, caused by
arthritis, muscle problems or more serious diseases.
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- For one in 10, the pain started during their teens and
there is no prospect of a cure.
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- Pain management experts say that not enough is being
done to tackle pain and offer treatments which could give some relief to
sufferers.
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- The survey involved interviews of more than 46,000 people
in 12 countries - 3,000 in the UK.
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- More than one in eight in the UK reported some form of
chronic pain - which is low compared to some European countries.
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- In Norway, the number affected approaches a third of
those questioned, and the European average is 19%.
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- Suicidal thoughts
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- The most common type of pain was back pain - the most
common cause arthritis.
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- The survey suggested that the chronic pain had a massive
impact on their lives - one in five sufferers said they had been diagnosed
with depression as a result of the pain, and 16% said that some days the
pain was so bad that they "wanted to die".
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- Almost half said that they would be prepared to pay every
penny they had to rid themselves of the pain.
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- Relationships suffered as well - 27% of chronic pain
patients said they found it harder to maintain relationships with friends
and family - and 19% are no longer able to have sex as a result.
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- Alice Peterson was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis
at the age of 18 - just as she prepared to take up a tennis scholarship
in the US.
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- The condition ended at a stroke her hopes of a professional
tennis career.
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- Now 29, she said: "All I wanted to do was curl up
into a ball, covered in hot water bottles and never wake up again.
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- "I felt like I was in a dark tunnel with no flicker
of light to guide me anywhere."
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- More help needed
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- Dr Berverly Collett, President of the UK's Pain Society
and a consultant in pain management at University Hospitals Leicester,
said: "Not enough is being done to manage chronic pain an the isolation
it causes.
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- "Doctors and politicians need to listen to what
patients are saying."
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- Two-fifths of the people surveyed said they felt their
pain was still not adequately controlled, despite reporting it to their
doctor.
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- Dr Graham Archard, chairman of the pain management group
at the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "With over half
of patients researched saying that their pain is constant, and 68% reporting
inadequate pain control, it is clear that current pain management strategies
must be substantially improved."
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- © BBC MMIII
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3180776.stm
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