Katherine Faulks, Head of the Chronic Conditions Unit & Spokesperson for the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, joins Luke Grant to discuss a new report that shows 1 in 5 Australians over the age of 45 are experiencing chronic pain.

‘Chronic pain is ongoing and debilitating, and can impact a person’s ability to participate in work, daily activities, exercise, and access health care. It lasts beyond the normal healing time after injury or illness, and is experienced on most days of the week. It can result from injury, surgery, musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, or other medical conditions such as cancer.’

‘People with chronic pain are more likely than those without chronic pain to experience mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, sleep disturbance and fatigue,’ Ms. Faulks said.

‘For people aged 45 and over, those with chronic pain are almost 3 times as likely to have been dispensed pain medication as those without chronic pain,’ Ms. Faulks said. Pain medication includes opioids, migraine medication, and other analgesics.