Long ordeal for chronic pain

Long suffering in chronic pain - diagnosis often after two years

10/18/2012

According to a survey conducted by the University of Leipzig, about one third of Germans are in chronic pain. Those affected often have a long ordeal before they receive a diagnosis and adequate treatment. For there are currently only 2,000 to 3,500 doctors in Germany who offer a pain consultation. There are also around 150 regional pain centers specializing in chronic pain. Experts therefore see large deficits in the nationwide care of pain patients in Germany.

No nationwide care for patients with chronic pain in Germany
About one third of Germans say they suffer from chronic pain such as migraine or back pain. This was the result of a survey by the University of Leipzig in which 5.4 percent of the respondents stated that they were physically and socially impaired by the pain. 2.3 percent of the respondents also reported emotional complaints due to chronic pain.

„At the moment, a chronic pain patient needs two years to come to the right diagnosis, "said Professor Wolfgang Koppert, President of the German Pain Society eV Until the affected person receives appropriate treatment, another two years would pass, added Koppert, experts have been complaining for some time There are only about 2,000 to 3,500 physicians in Germany currently offering around 150 regional pain centers - a modest offer that far too long waits for those affected pulls.

As the President of the German Society for Pain Therapy, Dr. med. Gerhard Müller-Schwefel, reported that patients who suffer from chronic pain often complete a veritable odyssey before entering a pain center. Patients previously consulted on average eleven different doctors. The onset of the disease is in many cases years ago. One of the reasons lies in the "inadequate training of doctors in the field of pain medicine". Only a few are adequately trained in the treatment of chronic pain.

Training deficits of doctors and psychologists on chronic pain
Müller-Schwefel therefore advocates a mandatory inclusion of pain medicine in the licensing system. In addition, the pain medicine must be recognized as a separate field of expertise, which also reflect the health insurance in their service catalogs accordingly. After all, chronic pain had been taken up in the Morbi-RSA, so that the doctors would now have to encrypt the diagnoses of pain patients exactly. Only then would negotiations for a corresponding remuneration be possible.

Professor Rolf-Detlef Treede, designated President of the International Pain Society IASP, criticized the fact that the topic of chronic pain plays a minor role in the training of psychologists. „However, a pain patient often needs a psychologist, "said Treeede, adding that there is no action plan against pain in Germany, such as in countries like Portugal or France.

German Pain Congress is under the motto „Pain moves“
Doctors refer to a pain as chronic if it occurs for at least six weeks to three months. However, there is currently no fixed definition. According to Professor Hans-Raimund Casser of the DRK Pain Center Mainz „but the definition should be whether the pain is central and dominates one's own life. "Koppert reported that the transition from symptomatic pain to chronic pain is often diagnosed too late.

At this year's German Pain Congress in Mannheim, more than 2,000 physicians of various disciplines, psychologists, nurses, and physiotherapists are currently discussing the motto „Pain moves“ about pain diagnostics and therapy. The latest research results in the field of pain medicine are just as important as the promotion of young researchers. (Ag)

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