Chronic pain
Effects
Effects on daily activities
In Europe, the main activities affected by pain are exercising, sleeping, lifting, walking, carrying out chores, having sexual relations and working outside the home.1 These findings were broadly echoed in the Australia and New Zealand survey and by US studies. What is more, 50% of European1 and 44% of Japanese respondents2 said they feel tired all the time, while 30% of European1 and 20% of Japanese2 respondents said they feel socially isolated as a result of their pain. Over a quarter of the European sample felt their independence and ability to maintain family relationships was impaired,1 while in Japan, nearly 50% felt that no-one believes how much pain they are in,2 underlining the loneliness of the condition.
Interviews with patients living with chronic pain 
Impact on working life
Pain can mean that people are unable to work, and can cause them to lose their jobs, in turn placing an extra burden on their families and society to support them. In Europe, 19% of respondents lost their job, 13% changed jobs and 16% changed their responsibilities as a result of their pain, with unemployment in this group more than double national levels.1 Job loss occurred in 15% and 7% of the respondents in the Australian and New Zealand surveys respectively,3 while responsibilities were changed in 25% and 38% respectively.3 In the US, 48% of sufferers were currently employed and 19% of those said their employment status was affected by their pain.4
The prevalence of diagnosed clinical depression associated with pain is high: 21% in Europe,1 21% in Australia3 and 16% in New Zealand.3 While prevalence of depression was not specifically assessed in Japan, 33% of Japanese respondents said they feel much older than their age, 19% are gripped by the fear that they will lose their jobs, and 50% said that their pain is unconquerable and something that they just have to endure.2 In the US, this last figure rises to 80%.4 These findings underline the serious psychological consequences of unrelieved chronic pain. In Europe, up to half of chronic pain sufferers reported feelings of helplessness and a third said they could not remember what it was like not to be in pain.1 Most significant of all, 17% of European,1 14% of Japanese2 and 31% of US4 respondents claimed their pain is sometimes so bad that they wanted to die.
References
1) Breivik H, Collett B, Ventafridda V, et al. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain 2006; 10:287-333.
2) Hattori S. Pain Clinic 2004; 25(11).
3) Pain in Australia and New Zealand. Data on file, Mundipharma.
4) Lazarus H, Neumann CJ. Assessing undertreatment of pain: the patients’ perspective. Journal of Pharmaceutical Care in Pain and Symptom Control 2001; 9(4):5–34.