A/Professor Paul Wrigley, Professor Paul Glare and Dr Claire Ashton-James
Calls for chronic pain to become a national health priority
A team of researchers from the Pain Management Research Institute joined international speakers at a symposium in Sydney addressing the complex challenges of deprescribing opioids for chronic pain. Senior lecturer and social psychologist Dr Claire Ashton-James said one in five Australians live with chronic pain and until recently, many relied on opioid medications, such as oxycodone, codeine, and tramadol. “There’s been a major shift in treatment advice in recent years, with recognition that opioids offer little long-term benefit and come with significant risks,” she said. “Stopping opioid use however is easier said than done. Many patients fear their pain will become unbearable and doctors find it difficult to explain to patients why
opioid medications are no longer recommended. “Patients must be provided with strategies to help them cope as part of a multi-disciplinary pain management approach. This includes regular exercise and physiotherapy, nutrition planning, pain education, “We need to raise community awareness of chronic pain, increase pain education across the healthcare system and provide better access to non-pharmacological approaches to pain management.” Also speaking at the international symposium was Associate Professor Paul Wrigley, a pain medicine specialist physician, who is based at the Kolling and Pain Management Research Institute. and the use of cognitive and behavioural strategies to help manage pain flare ups.
“Reducing a person’s reliance on opioids as a primary way of managing their pain is important, but the complexities of each person’s situation need to be considered and extra support offered where necessary,” he said. “There are many easily accessible, practical resources to guide healthcare professionals, such as the ACI Pain Management Network Opioid Quicksteps, however more promotion of these resources is needed. “Ongoing one-on-one collaboration between pain medicine specialists and GPs is also crucial in complicated situations to help guide and support decision making.”
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