PAINFULLY PAINFULLY slow

MORE than two out of every three people living with chronic pain in the UK have had to visit multiple GPs and wait over a year for a diagnosis

And 28% of sufferers wait three or more years for a diagnosis, according to a new survey

Chronic pain is defined as continuous and long-term pain lasting more than 12 weeks

Today, it’s estimated that a quarter of UK residents have chronic pain

The NHS advises people having difficulty managing pain to get in touch with their GP for a referral to a pain clinic

Pain clinics offer a wide range of treatments and support, including access to medical pain specialists – doctors trained to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prevent many different types of pain

Those who had accessed a pain specialist saw between one and four healthcare n Nearly three quarters (73%) of people who visited a pain specialist felt understood and would recommend that others experiencing pain do so n More than one in five (23%) say they cannot work anymore due to chronic pain n More than three quarters rely on pain medication (77%) n Physical therapy was used by more than one quarter (27%)