Study Reveals The Daily Difficulty Frequent Pain Brings
Pain can make life miserable for millions of people in the UK, with all too many struggling on without finding effective or easy to use treatment solutions.
A new study commissioned by the pain experts at Mentholatum, the makers of Deep Relief , have exposed the daily difficulties and discomfort that being in frequent pain brings.
Three quarters (75%) of us are in pain at least several times a month, with more than half of us (54%) in pain a few times a week and more than one in four of us (27%) suffering frequently throughout the day.
The back seems to be the common problem area when it comes to pain woes, followed by pains in the neck, shoulder, knee and leg.
Worse still, the majority of sufferers said their pain could last for hours at a time, while a further one in seven said it could go on for weeks and another one in seven suffered from pain all the time.
The research showed that pain can be very disruptive to day-to-day lives. Nine out of 10 (90%) said they get pain while at work, with 39% confessing to taking sick days or leaving work early because of the pain.
Most respondents (79%) said their pain affected their sleep, often leaving them exhausted and short tempered. The majority (52%) of respondents admitted they sometimes try to hide their pain, particularly from their colleagues, partner, family and even close friends.
Sadly nearly half (48%) feel that their pain is ageing them beyond their years. Nearly half (48%) admit avoiding sex with a partner because of pain.
Worse still, nearly half (48%) of pain sufferers have not seen a GP and 60% believe that their problem is still undiagnosed.
Of those that did see a doctor, only just over a third (37%) feel that that they were given good advice or help. Nearly half (46%) are taking painkillers at least several times a week or more, and for one in four that has led to a worry about becoming addicted.
Twenty per cent have suffered from side effects triggered by the drugs. One in 10 (10%) said they have been advised to cut back on painkillers by family or friends.
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