Choose Language

Close language selection.

Treating Pain Around the World

by
6 Comments

LIVESTRONG believes in your right to live without pain. In many countries pain is viewed as an afterthought or ignored all together because of stigma and lack of education. We are working with the Pain and Policy Studies Group to ensure that patients all over the world have access to pain medication to ensure a better quality of life. Much of the Pain and Policy Studies Group’s work focuses on identifying and addressing the barriers to medical use of opioid analgesics (narcotic drugs), which are essential to chronic pain management and palliative care. Below are a few members of the pain and palliative care studies group talking about the barriers to treating pain in their countries.

  • http://momentsfromtheheart.com Austin Leander

    One huge challenge that needs to be addressed is that the medicines involved often become political footballs. In order to prevent occasional abuse, elected officials pass onerous laws just for political points

  • http://www.thepurplemana.com AmberSkye

    I agree pain medication is necessary sometimes but I think we should also be finding and curing the root of the pain and not just applying temporary bandages. I have found far to often a doctor just saying here are some pain meds it will probably go away.

  • http://www,songsnight.com songs.pk

    India and Pakistan are very poor in health.
    This subcontinents needs a Permanent Plan in this matter.
    Now a days Pakistan is facing a very big disaster of Flood. in this people infected with Viral diseases and they need too many medicines and health facilities and as Pakistan is very poor country can not afford it by itself,so it need to help it out .
    C E O
    songs.pk
    THANK YOU
    Pooja

  • http://www.ligacancer.org Eva Duarte

    A lot of patients with advanced cancer will be benefitted and relieved from their suffering when all this barriers disappear, we appreciate ARMSTRONG devotion to cancer patients, and its committment with the Pain Policiy Studies Group Fellowship work; pain is a torture and a slavery that nobody with cancer even if it´s going to be cured deserves!
    Best from Guatemala,
    Eva Duarte, Palliative Care Physisian

    • Rosa Buitrago

      When you look at high developed and undelepoded countries you will found enormous differences in terms of access to pain medication: from almost 160 countries reporting to the International Narcotics Control Boards, just 22 are above the global mean for per capita use of morphine (aprox 5.6 mg), of those 22 countries, form Latin America just one is above that mean (Argentina). Morphine and related medicines are the only pain medication that can relief moderate to severe pain, a kind of pain that you currently find in cancer, HIV and other advanced diseases out of curative treatment. But also you will need those medications to control pain produced after surgery. The meaning behind the above statement regarding that just 22 countries are above the Morphine Global mean has a tremendous impact, it means that if in this momment a patient is diagnosed with a condition where moderate to severe pain releif is needed the chances for that patient in undeveloped contries to obtain that relief will be almost null. We, as members of the society, as possible patients, as academics, health care practitioners, should not remain silent, we need to get engaged in the solution of this problem. There are many ways to induce changes: write about the issue in journals, become a member of cancer or HIV associations, study the topic, share you knowledge. You will see results in your country.
      Prof. Rosa Buitrago
      Professor of Pharmacology
      School of Parmacy
      University of Panama

  • http://cravinganime.com/ anime

    In the U.S. there are many methods, sophisticated treat pain patients. The same, however, can not be said of many other nations in the world.

    “There are countries where if you have cancer you get two Demerol and then you have just,” said Winston CV Parris, professor of Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.