"Relief in pain" - Nationwide program of effective pain control
As many as 75% of Poles feel pain that prevents them from functioning normally and perform their daily duties - according to research carried out as part of the inauguration of the National Program of effective pain control - "Relief in pain".
Everyday acute pain is a serious social problem In too many cases in people suffering from various types of pain - it is not effectively controlled! This is evidenced by the fact that as many as 3 out of 4 Poles during the last year experienced pain that prevented their normal functioning, including almost every fourth respondent (23%).
To a large extent this is the result of the society's tendency to self-heal.
"Poles take large amounts of over-the-counter painkillers, often without even reading the information leaflet, and only a small percentage of them have contact with specialist doctors, whose recommendations help effectively relieve pain" - says Dr. Jan Dobrogowski, MD Head of the Department of Research and Treatment of Pain in the Chair of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy at Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University, President of the Polish Society for the Study of Pain.
The problem of experiencing pain affects women more than men.
The study shows that altogether 48% of women very often, often or sometimes felt pains that prevent their normal functioning, while the problem of severe pain occurring with similar frequency concerned a total of 34% of men. The study also shows that there is a significant correlation between the frequency of pain perception and the age of respondents. Very frequent and frequent pains preventing everyday functioning were felt by 7% of respondents aged 15-19 and 11% of respondents aged 20-29, while among the elderly the number of indications was definitely higher in this case. Very frequent or frequent pain, which affect the everyday life, felt a total of 35% of respondents aged 50-59 and 43% of people aged at least 60 years.
Chronic pains of medium and high intensity significantly reduce the quality of life of Poles
These types of pain make daily functioning difficult and also cause a wide variety of disorders. At the same time, low awareness of the possibility of effective pain treatment results in negative social implications. Few Poles know that there are methods to effectively control pain, and pain that prevents normal functioning can be successfully treated.
According to the world standards of pain treatment, every pain person has the right to its full control, which is possible thanks to the use of appropriate therapeutic strategies.
In 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed standards for the pharmacological treatment of pain called an analgesic ladder. Its three "grades" form a comprehensive strategy for the safe, skilful and effective use of painkillers. Clinical trials have shown that drug therapy in line with the WHO three-stage analgesic ladder allows full pain control in approximately 70-90% of patients. The establishment of global standards in this area has become the basis for good practices in the treatment of pain used by doctors of various specialties. Dissemination of these standards in Poland can bring relief to millions of patients from various therapeutic groups.
"Relief in pain" - is the National Program of Effective Pain Control, which aims to increase the awareness of Poles about the standards of effective treatment of chronic pain of medium and high intensity.
The idea behind the campaign is to popularize modern and safe pain control strategies using the WHO full analgesic ladder, as well as to eliminate myths and stereotypes related to pharmacological pain treatment. The most important actions to be taken under the program include public opinion surveys on the attitudes of Poles related to pain and its control, open days in pain treatment clinics, workshops for doctors and educational workshops for the media. During the campaign, a special helpline will be launched, and educational materials created in cooperation with the Experts' Council of the campaign will be made available to patients and their families.
The program will last from the beginning of July to December 2008. Its initiator is the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal. The honorary and substantive patronage over the project was taken by the Polish Society for the Study of Pain (PTBB).
footnotes:
1. Grünenthal is an international pharmaceutical company - a world-known expert in the treatment of pain and R & D. The company specializes in the production of painkillers. It has been present in Poland since 2002. Grünenthal is a reliable and reliable partner in the treatment of pain, and the basis for its presence on the pharmaceutical market are investments in the research and development sector and care for the high quality of the offered medicines. Currently, the company conducts clinical trials in Poland based on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards. Grünenthal also supports numerous educational projects related to pain therapy and participates in the propagation of medical knowledge. In 2004, in recognition of outstanding merits for the Polish Society for the Study of Pain, the Polish branch of the company was honored with the Diploma and the PTBB Medal.
2. The study, the results of which we present, was conducted by TNS OBOP on 19-23 June 2008 on a nationwide, representative group of 1005 Polish residents aged 15 and more, and was commissioned by the organizers of the program "Relief in pain" - Nationwide program of effective pain control.
Warsaw, 14 July 2008.
Additional information is provided by:
Katarzyna Szczypek
On Board Public Relations
Tel: +48 (22) 321 51 00
e-mail: [email protected]
Katarzyna Chojnowska
On Board Public Relations
Tel: +48 (22) 321 51 00
e-mail: [email protected]
