Let’s Talk Pain: A Right Royal Mess!
Ah, chronic pain. A thrilling topic that really lifts the spirits, doesn’t it? Well, it wouldn’t if you’re one of the 3.5 million people enduring it in the Netherlands, according to the recent Ipsos I&O study. I mean, if you’re constantly feeling like you’ve lost a game of Twister with a bear, you’re probably not in the mood for a laugh. But let’s try, shall we?
A Pain Epidemic: Not Your Average Tuesday
So, it turns out that more people suffer from chronic pain than from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. These statistics make it sound like pain is auditioning for a role in a bad horror film. “Chronic Pain: The Sequel – This Time It’s Personal!” They even claim it’s a ‘pain epidemic.’ If only we could turn that pain into a form of artistic expression. Oscar-winning performances, here we come!
But let’s face it: chronic pain is the invisible monster under Britain’s bed… or the Netherlands’ bed, as it were. Most patients find themselves on a journey that involves not only their physical well-being but also their mental health. And we all know that mental health can be as slippery as a bar of soap in the hands of a one-armed gorilla!
Down the Rabbit Hole of Isolation
Frank Wille, our brave anesthesiologist-turned-pain-sayer—sorry, pain specialist—says we rarely chat about pain like it’s a disease. He’s right! It’s about time we treat it with the seriousness of a cat video that has gone viral. Isn’t it funny how we avoid talking about pain until we can’t even sit up without feeling like a pretzel in a wrestling match? Pain can range from an annoying twinge to an all-encompassing agony that makes even a trip to the bathroom feel like an Olympic event.
Chronic pain often leads to social isolation, you see. It’s like being stuck in a party where instead of confetti, everyone’s throwing sharp objects. And what do we do? We isolate ourselves! Suddenly, we’re avoiding social gatherings like they’re a ‘No Shoes, No Service’ sign—except this one’s in our heads!
The Dark Side of Pain
And what follows this isolation? Depression—like the uninvited guest that shows up right when you think your evening is going splendidly. More than a quarter of chronic pain patients struggle to hold down a job, so they might as well audition for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” because they feel just as trapped.
We can’t forget about everyone’s favorite heavy hitter: opioids. Over a million folks are downing these bad boys like they’re candy at Halloween. But be warned! They dull the senses, making you feel as lively as a potato. The last thing you want is to trade your lively social calendar for a life of binge-watching soap operas with those lovely little pills. And let’s be honest, the average doctor might feel like dispensing them is easier than providing the proper care for chronic pain. Can we get a “yikes” on that?
What’s the Plan, Stan?
The Dutch Association for Anesthesiology has unveiled the “Chronic Pain Solution Agenda,” which sounds more like an elaborate plan for a secret society than an actual healthcare initiative! But hey, if it means improving treatment options, I’m all in. Investing in research and training so that doctors know how to deal with chronic pain instead of passing out prescriptions like candy is essential. They plan to shed the light on alternatives that don’t involve dancing with the devil of addiction!
Lessons in Pain Management
Would you believe it? Many doctors have been woefully untrained in managing chronic pain. It’s like showing up to a Formula 1 race in a bicycle! Frank Wille noted that only since 2019 has pain management been part of the Amsterdam medical curriculum! Let’s get those GPs trained up so they can save us from turning into a beached whale on the couch!
In conclusion, chronic pain deserves a spotlight of its own—not as an unwanted sidekick but as a disease needing proper treatment. Let’s advocate for better research, training, and solutions so the 3.5 million can live without feeling like they’ve signed a life sentence with pain as their roommate. Now, if only we could get rid of the pain without losing the humor that comes with enduring it.
So here’s to us, battling pain like gladiators! May your pain be managed, your laughter still resonant, and your days brighter than ever before!
ANP Heavy painkillers
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 07:17
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Sander Zurhake
healthcare editor
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Sander Zurhake
healthcare editor
More than 3.5 million people in the Netherlands suffer from chronic pain. This is evident from research by Ipsos I&O. Doctors specialized in pain (anesthesiologists) who commissioned this study call it a pain epidemic.
Many more people suffer from chronic pain than from major public diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. And the number of patients is expected to increase due to the aging population. Chronic pain can be a result of cancer treatments or orthopedic surgeries. Interventions that particularly affect the elderly.
Social isolation
“Yet we rarely talk about pain as a disease,” says Frank Wille, anesthesiologist-pain specialist and vice-chairman of his professional association, the NVA. “Chronic pain is often still seen as a symptom rather than as a disease in itself.”
Pain becomes chronic when it lasts longer than three months and is not directly related to acute causes such as injury, illness or surgery.
Such pain usually causes people to become less active, which leads to social isolation. “Actually out of fear that is built into us,” says Wille. “Because normally pain is a warning signal to take it easy. But with chronic pain this is often not the case.”
Because the original cause of pain, for example radiation treatment for cancer, has already passed. However, pain may persist because nerves are sometimes damaged by radiation.
NOS Frank Wille, anesthesiologist and pain specialist
In fact, patients could ignore the pain, but often that is simply not possible because the pain has become so overpowering. Some people can no longer walk at all due to the pain.
‘Depression is just around the corner’
More than a quarter of patients are limited in their ability to work, the Ipsos report shows. 70 percent of patients experience difficulty in daily life. And these limitations lead to mental health problems in a quarter of patients.
“If you can no longer leave the house because of pain, can no longer work or hardly see your friends, depression is just around the corner,” says Wille.
More than one million people currently use opioids to suppress pain. These are heavy painkillers that can be very addictive. It is expected that the increasing use of recent years will continue.
During the corona pandemic, use decreased slightly, partly because there were fewer operations:
NOS
“The problem with opioids is that they completely dull your feelings,” says Wille. “So if you become addicted, you really don’t do anything anymore and you often lose contact with the outside world.”
Nevertheless, according to the professional association of anesthesiologists, some medical specialists and general practitioners prescribe opioids for too long, whether or not under pressure from the patient themselves. According to the anesthesiologists, this is because the average doctor knows relatively little about the treatment of pain as a chronic disease.
Launch of ‘solution agenda’
The Dutch Association for Anesthesiology today presents the Chronic Pain Solution Agenda, containing proposals to both the House of Representatives and the Ministry of Health to better treat chronic pain. The emphasis is on investments in scientific research, expanding medical training and intensifying cooperation between pain specialists and general practitioners.
While there are certainly options to treat chronic pain without opioids, especially if nerve damage causes the pain. Medicines for depression or epilepsy are also effective because they can calm nerve tissue, making the pain less severe. At the same time, the risk of addiction with these substances is generally negligible compared to opioids.
Training courses
“But many doctors do not know this and you cannot blame them because it does not or hardly occur in most medical training courses,” says Wille. “It has only become part of the curriculum in Amsterdam since 2019. And it has become a lot more extensive in general practitioner training since this year. We as anesthesiologists believe that this should actually be done nationally.”
Wille expects that the social impact of chronic pain can be limited in that case. There are spacious 90 specialized pain clinics in the Netherlands. “For 3.5 million patients, that is a drop in the ocean. And I think that GPs can make a difference thanks to improved training. With additional knowledge, they can also responsibly prescribe the right drugs for nerve pain.”
