Chronic pain is pain that persists beyond normal healing time of approximately three months. One in five Australians experience chronic pain that is serious enough to disable them. These numbers have been predicted to rise in the coming decades. Chronic pain costs the country billions each year in health system costs, reduced quality of life and productivity losses. People living with chronic pain, often experience disability and comorbid mental health disorders (such as depression) and many struggle to find effective treatments. Chronic pain causes enormous suffering to affected individuals, their loved ones, and society as a whole.Chronic pain is complex because it is a result of interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors. Pain may occur following surgery or an injury, but pain also occurs without any identifiable cause. Chronic pain may be experienced in one body location (e.g., in knee in knee osteoarthritis), or pain may be widespread (as in fibromyalgia). It is widely accepted that changes in the nervous system, including the brain, play an important role in maintaining chronic pain.
About our research The Centre for Pain IMPACT conducts a wide range of research to better understand the mechanisms of chronic pain and to develop effective treatments. Our main areas of chronic pain research and links to our current projects are below.
A Multi-Site Randomised Controlled Trial to Examine the Efficacy and Mechanisms of Immersive Virtual Walking Treatment for Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury – This project brings together international experts in basic science and clinical approaches to spinal cord injury neuropathic pain for a rigorous multisite randomised clinical trial to examine the efficacy and mechanisms of an advanced interactive virtual reality walking intervention. Virtual Reality walking is a novel extension of established illusory walking/visual feedback therapies and in preliminary studies shows promise to be among the only effective non-pharmacological treatments for spinal cord injury neuropathic pain. |