Up to one in every three people in Ireland lives with chronic pain, driving patient advocates to demand a fully-funded, time-bound implementation plan for a new government management strategy, according to Chronic Pain Ireland, the Irish Pain Society, and the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Ireland. According to Prof Brian McGuire, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Galway, chronic pain strips away fundamental life activities, including time with family, studying, working, and maintaining mental health. Prof McGuire stated that up to one in three people in Ireland experience chronic pain, creating an urgent need to resource the new model so patients can access community-based interdisciplinary rehabilitation and faster hospital-based care. Dr David Moore, a consultant in pain management at Beaumont Hospital and clinical lead for the Integrated Model of Care for Pain Management, noted that resource constraints mean many patients receive support that is too little and too late.
## The Impact of ICD-11 Classifications
The coalition is calling for the formal implementation of ICD-11 chronic pain classifications developed by the World Health Organization. According to Christina Donnelly, executive director of Chronic Pain Ireland, adopting these classifications will allow chronic pain to be more consistently recognized and recorded. This step aims to strengthen national data regarding service capacity, waiting times, and patient outcomes. Advocates emphasize that patients already expend significant energy managing daily tasks and should not have to struggle to be believed or supported.
> “One thing I want people to understand is that chronic pain takes much more than what they see,” said 35-year-old business owner and campaign ambassador Philippine Sikora.
## Real-Life Realities of Living With Pain
Running from September 14 to 27, Chronic Pain Ireland’s 14-day ‘What Pain Takes’ campaign highlights how capacity fluctuates daily or hourly. Ambassadors share personal experiences demonstrating how pain impacts energy, sleep, spontaneity, relationships, and employment. Philippine Sikora, who has lived with neuropathic pain for more than a decade, explained that routine chores like cooking or taking out bins require extensive planning and recovery time. She noted that fluctuating pain thresholds mean a person may manage a task one day but be incapacitated the next, urging the public not to assume someone’s health status based on appearance.
Did You Know?
Chronic pain affects nearly every household in Ireland, impacting energy, sleep, spontaneity, and working life according to campaign organizers.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is the ‘What Pain Takes’ campaign?
It is a 14-day national awareness campaign running from September 14 to 27 by Chronic Pain Ireland to highlight the unseen impacts of living with chronic pain.
### What are the main demands of the pain advocacy groups?
Chronic Pain Ireland, the Irish Pain Society, and SIP Ireland are calling on the Government and HSE to publish the National Model of Care for Acute and Chronic Pain Services, provide a funded implementation plan, and adopt ICD-11 classifications.
### How common is chronic pain in Ireland?
According to Prof Brian McGuire of the University of Galway, up to one in every three people in Ireland lives with chronic pain.
### What is the National Model of Care intended to do?
The model aims to ensure patients are seen earlier in community-based interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation services and that those needing intensive hospital-based treatment receive rapid care.
Keep reading