The terms endemic, epidemic and pandemic are used to describe the way diseases (not just infections) affect populations of humans or animals. The terms epidemic and pandemic have a very similar meaning: an epidemic is a rise in the number of new cases of a disease in a population; a p

INSIDE THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN TEAM Happy New Year from all of us at Pain Matters. In our first magazine of the new decade, we have invited the Chronic Pain Team from NHS Borders in the south of Scotland into the guest-editor’s chair for issue 74. In a jam-packed issue, they have l

In this 100th edition of Airing Pain, Paul Evans speaks to Heather Wallace, creator and driving force behind the Airing Pain radio programmes, who discusses the inspiration that led to the programme and its continued importance for Pain Concern and the chronic pain community. To liste

Cannabis and Chronic Pain by John Finch The journal Pain recently published an important study on the use of cannabis, and medicines based on cannabis (cannabinoids), for chronic pain conditions (chronic pain in cancer patients was specifically excluded). Researchers were from institu

Are you living with chronic pain? Swansea University are conducting a research study to assess people’s understanding and experiences of long term medication for chronic pain. If you live in Swansea, Bridgend, or Neath Port Talbot and would like to get involved, please click the link

Airing Pain’s centenary! In this landmark edition Paul Evans explores the origins of Airing Pain with founder Heather Wallace, and visits one of Pain Concern’s informative pain education sessions For a full transcript of this programme, please click here. In 2010, Airing Pain was conc

Talk therapy, modified for literacy level, helps ease chronic pain for disadvantaged populations

Public Health England is launching a review into “growing problem” of prescription drug addiction. The review, which will take a year, will cover: sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines and z-drugs (zolpidem and zopiclone) painkillers called opioids, pre

Why pain is a matter of life and death, the struggle for diagnosis and challenging misperceptions of palliative care.

How cancer survivors can manage long term pain and creating a home from home at the hospital.