There are enormous costs which society has to bear as a result of the burden of chronic pain and its suffering.
Policy makers at governmental level and commissioners, and health care decision-makers alike should adopt a broad, strategic and coherent perspective in determining issues relating to service provision and resource allocation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
McQuayH. Help and hope at the bottom of the pile. British Medical Journal, 2008;336:954–55.
2.
International Association for the Study of Pain Subcommittee on Taxonomy.Classification of chronic pain. Descriptions of chronic pain syndromes and definitions of pain terms. Pain, 1986; suppl 3: S1–S226.
3.
BlythFMMarchLMBrnabicAJJormLRWilliamsonMCousinsMJ. Chronic pain in Australia: a prevalence study. Pain2001;89:127–34.
4.
VerhaakPFMKerssensJJDekkerJSorbiMJBensingJM. Prevalence of chronic benign pain disorder among adults: a review of the literature. Pain1998;77:231–39.
5.
OspinaMHarstallC. Prevalence of chronic pain: an overview. Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 2002. Report: HTA 29.
6.
BreivikHCollettBVentafriddaVCohenRGallacherD. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. European Journal of Pain2006;10:287–333.
7.
CrookJRideoutEBrowneG. The prevalence of pain complaints in a general population. Pain1984;18:299–314.
8.
ElliottAMSmithBHPennyKISmithWCChambersWA. The epidemiology of chronic pain in the community. Lancet1999;354:1248–52.
9.
ElliottAMSmithBHHannafordPCSmithWCChambersWA. The course of chronic pain in the community: results of a 4-year follow-up study. Pain2002;99:299–307.
10.
WoolfADPflegerB. Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions. Bulletin of the World Health Organization2003;81:646–56.
11.
PerquinCHazebroek-KampscheurAHunfieldJPain in children and adolescents: a common experience. Pain2000;87:51–8.
12.
DagenaisSCaroJHaldermanS. A systematic review of low back pain cost of illness studies in the United States and internationally. Spine2008;8:8–20.
13.
ManiadakisNGrayA. The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain2000;84:95–103.
RicciJAStewartWFCheeELeottaCFoleyKHochbergMC. Pain exacerbation as a major source of lost productive time in US workers with arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism2005;53:673–81.
16.
EriksenJSjøgrenPBrueraEEkholmORasmussenNK. Critical issues on opioids in chronic non-cancer pain: An epidemiological study. Pain2006;125:172–9.
17.
EriksenJJensenMKSjøgrenPEkholmORasmussenNK. Epidemiology of chronic non-malignant pain in Denmark. Pain2003;106:221–8.
18.
StewartWFRicciJACheeEMorgansteinDLiptonR. Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce. JAMA2003;290:2443–54.
19.
Van LeeuwenMTBlythFMMarchLMNicholasMKCousinsMJ. Chronic pain and reduced work effectiveness: the hidden cost to Australian employers. European Journal of Pain2006;10:161–66.
BlackC. Working for a healthier tomorrow. London: TSO, 2008.
22.
Van ZundertJVan den HeckeCCamberlinS. How are chronic low back pain patients assessed and treated in Belgium in NielensHVan ZundertJMairiauxP (eds) Chronic low back pain in Belgium. KCE Report, vol 48C. Brussels: Health Care Knowledge Centre, 2006.
23.
LachaineJGordonAChoinièreMColletJPDionDTarrideJE. Painful neuropathic disorders: an analysis of the Régie de l'Assurance Maladie du Québec database. Pain Res Manag.2007;12:31–7.
24.
BoltenWKempel-WaibelAPforringerW. Analysis of the cost of illness in backache. Med Klin1998;93:388–93.
25.
BlythFMMarchLMBrnabicAJMCousinsMJ. Chronic pain and frequent use of health care. Pain, 2004;111:51–58.
26.
BelseyJ. Primary care workload in the management of chronic pain: A retrospective cohort study using a GP database to identify resource implications for UK primary care. Journal of Medical Economics2002;5:39–52.
27.
CousinsMJ. Pain relief: a universal human right. Pain2004;112:1–4.
28.
AshburnMAStaatsPS. Management of chronic pain. Lancet1999;353:1865–9.
29.
McQuayHJMooreRA. An evidence based resource for pain relief. Oxford: Oxford University Press1998.
30.
GurejeOVon KorffMSimonGGaterR. Persistent pain and well-being: a World Health Organization study in primary care. JAMA1998;280:147–51.
31.
SchwartzLSlaterMABirchlerGR. The role of pain behaviors in the modulation of marital conflict in chronic pain couples. Pain1996;65:227–33.
32.
SchwartzLSlaterMABirchlerGRAtkinsonJH. Depression in spouses of chronic pain patients: the role of patient pain and anger, and marital satisfaction. Pain1991;44:61–7.
33.
KemlerMAFurnéeCA. The impact of chronic pain on life in the household. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management2002;23:433–41.
34.
SprangersMAGde RegtEBAndriesF. Which chronic conditions are associated with a better or poorer quality of life?Journal of Clinical Epidemiology2000;53: 895–97.
35.
BeckerNThomsensABOlsenAKSjogrenPBechPEriksenJ. Pain epidemiology and health related quality of life in chronic non-malignant pain patients referred to a Danish multidisciplinary pain center. Pain1997;73:393–400.
36.
KerrSFairbrotherGCrawfordMHoggMFairbrotherDKhorKE. Patient characteristics and quality of life among a sample of Australian chronic pain clinic attendees. Internal Medicine Journal2004;34:403–9.
37.
WoolfADZeidlerHHaglandUCarrAJChaussadeSCucinottaDDealeDJMartin-MolaE. Musculoskeletal pain in Europe: its impact and a comparison of population and medical perceptions of treatment in eight European countries. Ann Rheum Dis2004;63:342–7.
38.
MancaAKumarKTaylorRSJacquesLEldabeSMeglioMQuality of life, resource consumption and costs of spinal cord stimulation versus conventional medical management in neuropathic pain patients with failed back surgery syndrome (PROCESS trial). European Journal of Pain2008;12:1047–58.
39.
CalvertMJFreemantleNClelandJGF. The impact of chronic heart failure on health-related quality of life data acquired in the baseline phase of the CARE-HF study. Eur J Heart Failure2005;7:243–51.