Survey on chronic pain in Germany
06.09.2023 15:46
Boston Scientific published on September 5th. Results of a representative survey of 1,000 people with chronic pain, according to which this condition is underdiagnosed in Germany. Younger pain sufferers in particular are often affected by this, with four out of ten in the age group between 18 and 34 years reporting that they have chronic pain but live without a diagnosis (41 %). According to the survey, women are significantly more likely to feel that those close to them cannot understand the full extent of their suffering - regardless of whether it is family, friends, partners or the doctor.
In Germany alone, around 3.25 million people suffer from chronic pain[1]. This is defined as continuous and long-lasting pain lasting at least 12 weeks.[2] An official diagnosis is a prerequisite for targeted, long-term treatment. However, the survey shows that many people live with undiagnosed chronic pain. Especially in the age group between 18 and 34 years, four out of ten (41 %) have not yet been diagnosed. The reason given by almost half of them (45 %) is that they do not have time to attend a doctor's appointment - almost twice as many as in the age group over 55 (23 %). Instead, self-treatment with freely available painkillers is much more common (44 % vs. 25 % in the group over 55 years of age).
“It can significantly shorten the time of suffering if people with chronic pain seek professional advice early on and find a treatment method that is suitable for them,” says Prof. Dr. med. Jarek Maciaczyk, Head of the Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Section of the Neurosurgical Clinic at the University Hospital of Bonn “I can therefore only appeal not to put up with chronic pain, but to actively seek help. Especially if you are already impaired by chronic pain, it is important that the people around you and in the practices are also aware of it. In this way, an individually suitable therapy can be found together with those affected in order to relieve the pain and regain quality of life.”
While four out of ten women said their family did not understand their pain (38 %), only a quarter of male respondents felt that way (27 %). Even in a relationship, almost one in three women feel their pain is not understood (32 %), which only one in five men feels (22 %). This impression apparently also deters many women from making an appointment with a doctor: more than one in four women (28 %) who have not yet sought professional help state that the reason for this is that they do not believe their doctor would take them seriously. Among men, only one in 25 men saw it that way (4 %).
The positive effect of treatment is also reflected in the survey results: If those affected receive professional help, three quarters of all respondents report an improvement.
“Openly dealing with chronic pain and choosing to seek professional advice is a first step towards regaining a better quality of life with the right treatment,” says Vincent Sourdaine, vice president of neuromodulation in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Boston Scientific. “Boston Scientific continues to invest in new technologies that give patients more choice, as well as in education and campaigns to raise awareness of this important issue.”
literature
[1] BARMER GEK Doctor Report 2016: https://www.barmer.de/presse/infothek/studien-und-reporte/arztreporte/arztreport-2016-1065350
[2] Mills S, Torrance N, Smith BH. Identification and Management of Chronic Pain in Primary Care: a Review. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2016;18:22. doi:10.1007/s11920-015-0659-9.