Chronic pain can have a major impact on quality of life, but many sufferers find it difficult to describe what they are going through and so delay discussing their pain with their doctor, new research has shown.

Chronic pain refers to pain or discomfort that affects a person all of the time, or on and off, for more than three months, An estimated 1.65 million people in Ireland are affected. It can be caused by a condition, such as arthritis, or a particular event, such as a car accident. In some cases, there is no known cause.

According to a survey of over 500 adults with chronic pain in Ireland, half of those affected feel frustrated when trying to describe their pain and as a result, 26% delay discussing it with their doctor.

Furthermore, 73% admit that their pain impacts negatively on their ability to exercise, while 45% say it affects their social lives.

Meanwhile, almost half of sufferers have missed up to a week of work in the last year as a result of their pain.

The survey findings were released to coincide with a new national campaign aimed at raising awareness of pain and helping to support patients when they are communicating with healthcare professionals.

As part of the ‘mypainfeelslike...' campaign, a series of images have been developed, which aim to visually interpret different types of pain, such as stabbing, burning and tingling pain. These images will be exhibited in GP surgeries nationwide.

"Currently many chronic pain patients do not talk about their pain and find it difficult to describe their symptoms, which has a negative impact on their care. The ‘mypainfeelslike...' questionnaire will help patients describe their pain when talking to their doctors, which will ultimately improve their quality of care," explained Dr Paul Murphy, a pain consultant at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.

He emphasised that persistent pain ‘is now considered to be a disease entity in its own right' and early assessment is essential, as it can be linked to a number of changes in nerve function, cognition, mood and social function.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, 39-year-old veterinary student advisor in UCD, Niamh Nestor, said that her pain feels like ‘a long needle stabbing into my lower back'.

"I have experienced constant lower back pain since about 2011due to a disc problem. I visited doctors who told me things like I was getting old and everyone has pain. Eventually my mother took me to our family GP who helped me get a diagnosis and the specialist care that I need to manage my pain.

"My pain impacts everything - if I can sneeze without pain it's a good day - but thankfully I completed my PhD in sociolinguistics and now work full-time. I just hope one day I can live without pain," she said.

According to John Lindsay, chairperson of Chronic Pain Ireland, living with chronic pain affects people's wellbeing, their ability to be independent, their relationships and their productivity.

"This can lead to feelings of depression. The ‘mypainfeelslike...' campaign will help raise awareness of the impact of chronic pain and give people living with this disease the tools to re-evaluate their pain management plans," he commented.

The campaign is a collaboration between Chronic Pain Ireland and Grünenthal Pharma Ltd, and is supported by Multiple Sclerosis Ireland and the Parkinson's Association of Ireland.

For more information on the images describing pain, click here. For more information on the campaign, click here