Chronic pain can have a devastating impact on a person's quality of life and many sufferers feel isolated because they believe that others simply do not understand what they are going through, new research has found.

According to findings from the ‘mypainfeelslike...' campaign, 89% of people with chronic pain have avoided discussing this health problem with family and friends because they do not want to be seen as boring or annoying.

A further 26% said they regularly avoid talking about their pain to their loved ones.

Chronic pain can be described as pain which persists past the normal time of healing, which is taken, in the absence of other criteria, to be three months. It can be caused by a range of common conditions, including arthritis, cancer and diabetes, or by other factors such as an injury or operation.

Chronic pain can affect one part of the body - the back is a common location - or several parts. It can have a major impact on a person's day-to-day life.

"Living with persistent pain can severely impact someone's life. It is an invisible illness that compromises both quality of life and emotional health. Many people can feel isolated with their pain and think that others do not understand the impact it has on their life. They often struggle to explain the effect it is having on their lives," explained Orla Spencer, a clinical psychologist at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin.

The ‘mypainfeelslike...' campaign aims to raise awareness about this condition and offer support to patients. It has compiled a list of 10 things not to say to someone with chronic pain, including ‘but you look so well', ‘everyone has pain', ‘it's all in your head' and ‘you should feel better by now'.

"While intentions are good, comments like this can be hurtful and inappropriate. Moreover, they can often silence someone at a time when they need support from the people around them to be empowered to find new ways to cope with their pain. I encourage people to adopt a non-judgmental approach to someone with pain," Ms Spencer said.

Meanwhile, according to John Lindsay, chairperson of Chronic Pain Ireland, the stigma associated with chronic pain ‘is one of the most difficult aspects of living with it'.

"Our members have reported these types of comments for a long time and while they know people are just trying to help, it often has the opposite effect and can make them feel like they are being judged.

"We aim to support people to talk about their pain through support groups, pain management programmes and online tools like the ‘mypainfeelslike...' pain questionnaire so they can better understand their illness, communicate effectively with their doctor and have an appropriate pain management plan in place," he explained.

The ‘mypainfeelslike...' campaign is highlighting this issue ahead of World Day Against Pain on October 1. It is calling on people to share its 10 Things Not to Say to Someone with Chronic Pain video as part of this event. The video can be viewed and shared here.

For more on this campaign, click here