FibroAction joins Chronic Pain Policy Coalition

FibroAction is proud to announce that it is now a member of The Chronic Pain Policy Coalition.

Established in 2006, the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition (CPPC) brings toegther professionals, parliamentarians and patients who operate at a policy level in order to develop an improved strategy for the prevention, treatment and management of chronic pain and its associated conditions. The CPPC seeks to improve the lives of the 7.8 million people in the UK who live with chronic pain, which will also bring substantial economic and social benefits for society as a whole.

Part of this is their campaign to make pain the 5th vital sign in the UK. Whilst it is common for health service professionals to measure the temperature, blood pressure, respiratory and pulse rates of their patients on a regular basis and at the earliest opportunity, pain is not measured with the same level of importance or frequency. The CPPC is campaigning for pain to be included as the fifth vital sign to be measured on a regular basis and at the earliest opportunity, using a simple 10 point scale.

Dr Beverly Collett, Chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, has been quoted as saying:

"If pain were routinely assessed with the same priority as the other vital signs, then a great deal of unnecessary suffering, stress and anxiety could be avoided."

This campaign could be of great importance to people with Fibro, not only because they can go to hospital with no other symptom than pain, but also because their pain can be out of proportion to any injury or illness and this is rarely taken into account.

You can help by "signing" their online petition here.