Pain in Spain

OVER nine million people in Spain - some 26% of the adult population - suffer from some form of chronic pain. The biggest issue is lower back pain (58%) according to a survey carried out by Cadiz University and the Grunenthal Foundation.

Some 7,058 people between 18 and 85 were interviewed for the study, which clarified some of the unwelcome consequences of pain.

Some 42% of sufferers have used health services in the last month with 87% going to their

Over a quarter of Spain suffers from chronic pain

By Alex Trelinski

medical centre.

Those suffering such chronic pain are defined as having it for more than four days a week and persisting for longer than three months.

Chronic pain presents a financial cost with 28.6% of patients needing to take time off work over the last year

At 28, happiest in Spain!

THE happiest people in Spain are statistically men under 29 with money to burn.

However two-thirds (67.3%) of Spaniards aged 16 or over are happy ‘always or almost always’. Men were slightly happier than women at 68.4% versus 66.2%.

No surprise, 70.7% of high earners felt happy, while only 61.3% of low earners did.

from it.

Alarmingly, 22% of chronic pain sufferers said they got depression as a result of their condition and an additional 27.6% people said they were prone to anxiety.

People aged between 55 and 77 had the highest incidents of pain with women (59%) more prevalent than men.

“The study has given us a better awareness of what is going on and what pain represents at a social, economic, and health level,” said Cadiz University’s Inmaculuda Failde. She added there needed to be more pain units added to the existing 417 at public hospitals.

“There also has to be more cooperation between all health departments as relieving chronic pain should be a national priority,” she concluded.