The area of the body affected is constantly sending out pain signals, sometimes after the underlying cause has been treated.

Often patients will already be taking painkillers. Three-quarters of those who suffer chronic pain are of working age. It can affect any part of the body but back, joints and the head are the most common sources. Chronic pain can lead to depression, poor sleep and general lack of fitness. Measuring pain is difficult – it is subjective.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?

PAIN CLINICS
The first step should always be to see your GP who may refer you to a pain clinic, usually based at a hospital. Here you will be seen by a doctor who has been specially trained to treat and manage pain.

You will normally have a full assessment to establish whether the pain is muscular or visceral (linked to organ damage). Very rarely is pain “just in the mind” but establishing the source can be difficult. At pain clinics you may receive treatment such as physiotherapy, drugs, injections or acupuncture.

Though pain relief is the primary aim, where treatment has not worked or there is no cure, patients are helped to cope with and come to terms with their condition. Sadly there are fewer than 300 pain clinics in the country and these services are being cut.

Typically waiting lists are three months but it’s claimed some GPs aren’t even aware of the existence of the clinics.

PAIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES
This normally involves attending a course one day a week for about two months. These sessions focus more on living with and managing pain, rather than treating it.

They can offer tailor-made exercise programmes, emotional support and occupational therapy to help you get back to work. You may also be taught relaxation and stress management techniques to help you cope and sleep better.

Again, access is patchy – four out of 10 health trusts don’t have access to these programmes.

THE EXPERT’S VIEW
Dr Beverly Collett is a consultant in pain medicine at the University Hospitals of Leicester and chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition.

Chronic pain should be treated like any other condition or illness such as diabetes but diagnosis is often difficult.

Someone who is suffering constant pain can appear absolutely normal and healthy. That can be hugely frustrating. Some GPs also tend not to appreciate the impact of chronic pain if there is no obvious cause.

Many of the patients I see have been on painkillers for eight or nine years – they need to look beyond that.

Eventually, it becomes necessary to deal with the consequences of pain, not just the symptoms. Sometimes we have to teach people that they can have a better quality of life despite being in pain.

Because many patients believe there is little that doctors can do for them and because many doctors don’t know how they can help patients to better manage and deal with their pain, too many people end up suffering in dignified silence for years.

In Scotland, chronic pain will now be classified as a condition in its own right, which is a huge landmark. In England there is no strategy so services are variable and patchy. Pain clinics and management programmes should be available everywhere in the UK.