National Pain Strategy Needed For Canadians Suffering in Silence

Unrelenting, undermanaged pain a daily struggle for millions of Canadians

TORONTO, Nov. 8 /CNW/ - The Canadian Pain Coalition (CPC) is calling for a national pain strategy to address the anguish and silent suffering endured by millions of Canadians each and every day. During National Pain Awareness Week from November 7 - 13, 2010, the CPC will be raising awareness of the urgent and growing issue of pain in Canada.

Chronic pain is an epidemic in Canada; a disease that affects a majority of our citizens. As many as 85 percent of Canadians have experienced at least one episode of moderate to severe pain within the past three months and 30 percent of those individuals experience pain either daily or at least a few days each week.¹ 

"Pain is a growing problem and necessary steps are not being taken to address major gaps in pain care", says Lynn Cooper, president, CPC. "There are gaps in health care professional training, funding for pain research, and proper pain treatment. It is for these reasons that we are working with the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and partner organizations to create a national pain strategy that will address Canada's pain issues." 

To empower individuals who live with pain, and to ensure that their voice is heard, the CPC has developed the Charter of Pain Patients' Rights and Responsibilities. The Charter emphasizes that chronic pain is a condition, not a symptom and that people who live with chronic pain should be treated with the same dignity and respect as Canadians with any other disease or condition.

The first-ever Canadian Pain Strategy will be drafted and presented at the Canadian Pain Summit in Ottawa in April 2012.  Hosted by the CPC and the CPS, along with partner organizations, up to 300 delegates are expected to participate in the process, where all stakeholders - consumers, care givers and health professionals, along with educators, provincial, territorial and the federal government representatives, business and not-for-profit groups - will be able to provide valuable input to the Canadian Pain Strategy.

To champion pain awareness and highlight the gaps between what is known and what is practiced in the treatment of all kinds of pain in Canada, the CPC has distributed information to healthcare facilities and clinics across the country.  The CPC and the CPS are also sending pain information packages to federal Members of Parliament in November. The CPC has also developed a free 30 second public service announcement (PSA) available to anyone interested in promoting pain awareness. More information and National Pain Awareness Week posters are available for download at www.canadianpaincoalition.ca.

A recent survey of 600 Canadians with moderate to severe chronic pain revealed that 60 percent had lost their job, suffered loss of income or had a reduction in responsibilities as a result of their pain.  People living with chronic pain report the lowest health-related quality of life when compared to others with chronic illnesses such as emphysema, kidney failure and heart disease.²

In addition to the devastating effects on quality of life, chronic pain is among the most costly conditions in North America.³  Estimates place direct health care costs for Canada at more than $6 billion per year for individuals suffering from chronic pain.  By 2025, with the aging of our population, these costs can be expected to rise to $10.29 billion per year.⁴

About the Canadian Pain Coalition
The CPC is THE National Voice of People with Pain. Incorporated in 2004 as a non-profit organization, the CPC is a partnership of pain consumer groups, individuals, health professionals who care for people in pain and scientists studying better ways to treat pain. CPC promotes sustained improvement in the understanding, prevention, treatment and management of all types of pain in Canada. CPC accomplishes this through pain education, awareness activities and advocacy initiatives. CPC obtained the Senate Declaration of National Pain Awareness Week in 2004.

------------------------------------------------------

¹ Leger Marketing national omnibus survey. April 2010

² CPS Nanos survey, 2008

³ Pain Clinical Updates: International Association for the Study of Pain. Volume XI, NO. 2 June 2003

⁴ CJ Phillips, D Schopflocher. The economics of Chronic Pain 2008. In S Rashiq D Schopflocher, P Taenzer E Jonsson (Eds) Chronic Pain: A Health Policy Perspective. Weinham, Germany: Wiley-Blackwell.

For further information:

or to schedule an interview:

Rob McEwan
Argyle Communications
416-968-7311, ext. 242
[email protected]