Population Need

Chronic pain is estimated to account for five per cent of the total health burden each year (Ministry of Health, 2013). More attention has been paid to understanding chronic pain in New Zealand over the last 10 years. The volume of research has risen, and the burden of chronic pain has become more visible, with lower back pain identified as the leading cause of morbidity with an estimated 8.9 years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLD) (Health and Independence Report, 2019).

Living with chronic pain is a significant and complex condition. Women, older people, Māori, and those in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation have been found to be more at risk of developing chronic pain compared to other population groups.

Summarising the burden of chronic pain in New Zealand:

• More than one in five adults experience chronic pain. • The proportion of people with chronic pain increases with age. This means that prevalence will rise in future as our population ages. • In New Zealand, the prevalence of chronic pain varies slightly by ethnicity (Māori: 23.2%; Pākehā (NZ European): 21.3%; Pacifica: 18.3%; Asian: 10.3%) (2020/2021

NZ Health Survey). • Māori adults are at 1.4 times more likely to develop chronic pain issues compared to non-Māori adults. • Areas of high socio-economic deprivation have a higher proportion of people with pain. • Disability from pain is high, impacting daily life activities, work and occupations. • The most prevalent issues reported include trouble walking, sleeping, concentrating and maintaining their relationships due to their chronic pain, • Internationally, chronic pain is recognised as a major health problem that has considerable impact individually, socially, and economically. • People with chronic pain may experience have poorer health related quality of life and limitations in daily functioning (Dominick, Blyth and Nicholas, 2011). In particular, the experience of pain has severe social, psychological, and biological dimensions. • Chronic pain also results in higher use of health care. • International evidence demonstrates that patients with pain-related disability reported over twice as many primary care visits, and three times as many hospital admissions and Emergency Department (ED) visits as those who do not live with chronic pain. • Mismanagement of pain conditions and inappropriate prescribing of opioids and other drugs is also a risk for people living with chronic pain. • Long-term inappropriate opioid use is associated with unemployment and/or receipt of government benefit, low income, multiple pain conditions, depression, suicidal ideation, childhood abuse or neglect, and alcohol addiction.