Call to treat pain as a 'national health priority’

More than half of people affected by chronic pain have had their ability to work affected.
 
That is among the devastating findings of a survey conducted by Chronic Pain Australia which sought details of the experiences of 6059 people.
 
The results of the survey have been collated in the 2026 National Pain Report, released this week to tie in with National Pain Week.
 
It found a deep effect on respondents’ wellbeing. Among them, 86% reported chronic pain as having a high impact on their lives, with 71% saying they experienced mental health issues after developing it.
 
As well as 57% saying pain had affected their ability to work, 42% said it had stopped them working.
 
Almost three-quarters identified cost as a barrier to healthcare, with 63% saying healthcare and medicine costs were their ‘greatest concern’, while 40% said they waited more than three years for a diagnosis.
 
Chronic Pain Australia Chair Nicolette Ellis said the report’s findings are among the strongest evidence of the experience of Australians living with chronic pain, adding that it should be a catalyst for recognising the issue as ‘a national health priority’.
 
‘Pain lives in our homes, our workplaces, our schools and our communities,’ she said.
 
‘Yet despite affecting millions of Australians, it remains largely invisible within the systems responsible for measuring, planning and responding to it.’
 
She said there is a disconnect between the wide impact of chronic pain and its lack of recognition in the health system, which she called ‘Australia’s national pain gap’.
 
‘When pain isn’t measured, it isn’t seen,’ she said.
 
‘When it isn’t seen, it isn’t prioritised.
 
‘The consequence is that people spend years searching for answers, leave the workforce, experience financial hardship and face declining mental health while the system struggles to recognise the full scale of the problem.’
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said chronic pain requires an individualised approach focused on improving quality of life.
 
‘Living with ongoing pain can be incredibly challenging, affecting a person’s physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, work and daily activities,’ he said.
 
‘The good news is that your GP can support you to manage pain and develop a treatment plan tailored to your individual circumstances.
 
‘Good holistic care means minimising pain and maximising quality of life.
 
‘It can also mean supporting patients to reduce or stop pain medicines when they’re no longer providing benefit, because dependence and addiction too often catch people by surprise.’
 
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chronic pain Chronic Pain Australia National Pain Report