The Burden of Pain: A Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Book of Evidence

This ‘Book of Evidence’ was created for individuals from a non-scientific background (e.g. policymakers and funding organisations) to gain an insight into what pain is, understand different definitions used (e.g. acute pain, neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain), and the debilitating effects pain has on patients and societies.

The document explains distinct types of pain conditions (e.g. headaches, low back pain), how common they are, and treatment approaches. Further, the document explains crucial concepts and challenges in pain field, including pain measurement and assessment, stigma, the importance of acknowledging the personal multidimensional nature of pain that requires an appreciation of the interplay between myriad biological/physical, psychological and sociocultural factors.

Overall, this document should illustrate and describe what pain is and draw attention to the need for urgent policy action and increased funding for research. In particular, the Recommendations highlighted at the end of the document are a call to action by the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council and civil society to address the disastrous societal impacts of pain.