Reshaping the narrative for pain: Women must be seen and acknowledged by government and the community

Pharma News: Chronic pain sufferers, both women and men, will converge on the lawns of Parliament House today, rallying for improved access to Multidisciplinary Pain Management at the primary care level. This call to action comes in light of the stark statistic that only 1 in 100 individuals dealing with chronic pain receives the necessary multidisciplinary pain services and treatments they require.

Painaustralia CEO Giulia Jones dispelled the misconception that chronic pain primarily impacts the elderly population. She emphasised that a significant 68% of individuals grappling with chronic pain are of working age. Within Australia’s 3.4 million chronic pain sufferers, a staggering 1.8 million are women.

Ms Jones painted a vivid picture of the typical chronic pain sufferer, noting that they are often women in the prime of their working years, juggling earning responsibilities, relationships, caregiving, and family obligations.

“Meanwhile, they are invisible, no one talks about them or thinks about them, and even worse when they seek help, they are often belittled or are not given the treatment and care they need,” she stated.

“We are putting women with chronic pain on the map. We are asking the federal government to respond with a doubling of the allied health visits from 5 to 10 funded through GP management plans for chronic conditions and we need Australia to have a public conversation about pain,” she added.

With 1 in 5 Australians living with chronic pain, Ms Jones stressed the widespread nature of this issue. “In every lunchroom, in every supermarket, on every bus, and in most family homes, someone is living with chronic pain,” she said.

The event at Parliament House will feature a lineup of speakers including chronic pain sufferers Megan Kuleas and Kim Sullivan, Dr Nick Coatsworth, health commentator, Dr Anne Webster, Shadow Assistant Health Minister, Senator Helen Polley, co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management Group, and Larissa Waters, Greens Senator. Haleon, GSK’s former consumer healthcare business, has also committed its support to the cause.

Dr Michelle O’Brien, specialist pain medicine physician and anaesthetist at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane, supports the importance of multidisciplinary team management for chronic pain. Under this model, the patient plays a central role, with an emphasis on evidence based pain education and psychological support, interventional procedures including Spinal Cord Stimulation, and the evolving use of opioids in chronic pain.

“There are many reasons why people experience chronic pain – and pain management can help with all of these. Any part of the body can be affected by chronic pain and there are many different approaches that can be used,” said Dr O’Brien.

“Pain acts as our body’s alarm system and when that alarm is constantly going off this can challenge people’s coping skills and affect important body functions like sleep and mood. Pain signals travel along nerve pathways and our current imaging technology can’t show nerve pain which makes it more challenging to manage,” she commented.

“Women deserve this,” Ms Jones asserted, “and women in pain must be seen and acknowledged by both the government and the community.”

She added “We implore the government to make a commitment to fund additional allied health visits, which will profoundly transform the experiences of women in pain.”

The most effective means of managing chronic pain is through multidisciplinary pain care, enabling individuals to continue living their lives without the constant spectre of pain. Psychological support is crucial in helping people not just cope but thrive despite their pain.

Ms Jones expressed optimism that this gathering will mark a significant step forward in improving the lives of women and all individuals living with chronic pain at the primary care level. “No more ignoring, no more belittling; it’s time to acknowledge the tremendous challenges faced by those living with pain and reshape the narrative on pain in Australia,” she stated.

To join the campaign, please visit Walk My Pain.

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

The Health Industry Hub^TM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.