Pip Brennan, Executive Director of Health Consumers Council, writes on the results of a nation-wide survey of people living with pain.
GPs ideally are the hub of a patient’s care and build strong relationships with their patients over time. For those living with chronic pain, the relationship with their GP can be crucial.
This has been a consistent finding of Chronic Pain Australia, a non-profit health promotion organisation dedicated to reducing the social and other barriers related to living with chronic pain.
Each year, Chronic Pain Australia undertakes a comprehensive survey of Australians living with chronic pain*. The results are launched during National Pain Week to bring attention to chronic pain and ensure the voices and experiences of people in pain are heard.
As GPs are always busy and may not have had time to access this survey, we thought a summary of the results would be a timely reminder of what patients say matters to them.
In 2020, more than 200 people in pain across Australia participated in the survey, which reflects what many WA health consumers tell us repeatedly – there is no single journey for people living with chronic pain.
Often, it is a path filled with unknowns; consumers often face persistent, debilitating and confusing symptoms and a barrage of tests and treatment trials, all the while being told that medically they are a ‘mystery’ or that their pain is confusing, hard to explain or, unfortunately not uncommonly, all in their head.
Or even “being made to feel like I don’t do enough to manage my pain and that somehow I am responsible for the pain that I have”. It’s no wonder then that 44.6% of people living with chronic pain also experience depression or anxiety (Hoole et al 2014, via PainAustralia).
How well do you think your GP manages your chronic pain?
GPs scored 5/10 for this question. Asked if there was just one thing their GP could do to help manage their chronic pain, 50% of respondents said “believe me and my pain”.
People were then asked, “What are the most important things for GPs to know, understand and do when treating someone is living with chronic pain?”
- we are not one-size-fits-all;
- pain is real, debilitating and exhausting;
- pain affects all areas of our health and lives;
- we are not all drug-seekers;
- living with chronic pain can be isolating and depressing;
- understand that we have been conditioned to expect no medical professional will believe us.
Those living with chronic pain have known for years that it is a bigger issue than any one service or provider. Seeking the right health support team who is knowledgeable and well versed in pain management is just as vital as seeking a specialist in any other area.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, and many patients will need to see multiple providers before they find what works best for them. From pain specialists, physiotherapists and psychologists, to chiropractors, remedial masseurs, dieticians, occupational therapists, nurses and social workers, there are options available to manage pain. Unfortunately, more than 80% responded that these options were not affordable for them. The majority stated the Federal Government should provide a full rebate for accessing allied health professionals to manage chronic pain.
When it comes to consumers living with chronic pain, their message for health services is clear: believe us when we say we are in pain, and provide supports, referrals and resources to a multi-disciplinary team of specialists who can help us manage our pain.
“Just understand. Have some compassion. Have some common sense, not everyone has a perfectly aligned spine, not everyone has a high pain threshold, not everyone can cope without relief, not everyone can just suck it up and be tough. We need kindness from people, not vilification. We are victims of our pain and now we are victims of the system too and we feel like we are being left behind.”
*Full survey results available at https://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=368