Public urged to respond to chronic pain consultation

Fri, 17 Feb 2023

Manx Care is undertaking consultations with both members of the public and clinicians on Island, to understand their opinions on how chronic pain is managed. Responses will help to inform the development of new services.

The organisation would like to understand whether people experiencing long-term (chronic) pain are given access to the right services to meet their needs, as well as considering the challenges faced by clinicians in their professional practice when supporting this group of patients.

Chronic pain may begin with an injury where the pain does not resolve as expected, but often it is not clear how the chronic pain started. Common types of chronic pain include lower back pain, pain related to arthritis and pain related to injury of a nerve or other part of the nervous system (neuropathic pain).

This pain can range from mild to severe, and can cause low mood, irritability, poor sleep and mobility problems. Additionally, there can be widespread social impacts, including a reduced ability to fulfil familial roles (i.e. caring for children) and loss of income due to difficulty working. Quality of life of both those experiencing pain and their families is therefore a factor. 

The public consultation, which is available here, asks those who are experiencing chronic pain/those around them about the services and support provided to them, as well as asking them to consider what further support they would benefit from.

 

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