Everyone experiences pain from time to time, but for one in five Canadians pain is a part of their every day. This week is National Pain Awareness Week. It's a time to raise awareness about chronic pain, the severe impact it can have on people's lives, and the resources that are available to support those living with pain.
Roughly eight million Canadians, ranging from children to older adults, live with chronic pain. It's an often-invisible condition that can take a heavy toll on people's mental and physical health.
Since pain is invisible, properly managing it can be challenging. Family, friends, even sometimes health workers, might not understand what you are going through. When pain goes unmanaged, it can sometimes lead people to turn to harmful ways to manage their pain like higher-risk substance use.
In 2019, the Government of Canada established the Canadian Pain Task Force to help better understand this health issue and identify ways to better support people living with pain. In March 2021, the Task Force released its final report-An Action Plan for Pain in Canada-which identified priority actions to make sure chronic pain is effectively understood, prevented and treated in Canada.
By working closely with other federal departments, provincial and territorial counterparts, pain experts, professional organizations and people living with pain, we have been able to make significant progress in advancing the Task Force's recommendations.
The Government of Canada is supporting a range of new projects and mentorship programs to help health providers and people living with pain better manage this complex health condition. The Government, for example, supported the launch of Pain Canada-an initiative dedicated to coordinating national efforts and mobilizing resources for Canadians living with pain. The Government also supported the launch of the Power Over Pain Portal-a virtual platform that provides resources and support for health providers and people living with pain in managing this complex health condition.
And earlier this year, Canada also became the first country with a national pediatric pain management standard. The new health standard will help ensure children are getting equitable and quality pain management across hospital settings.
If you are living with pain, know that you are not alone and that there are options out there to help manage your pain. The Government of Canada will continue working with federal, provincial and territorial partners, as well as people living with pain and pain experts, to better support those living with pain.
- The Honourable Mark Holland, P.C., M.P.
- The Honourable Ya'ara Saks, P.C., M.P.
