UK Health Services Failing 20 Million+ Joint Pain Sufferers

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Also Included In: Back Pain
Article Date: 09 Jul 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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UK health services are failing to meet the needs of millions of chronic joint pain sufferers. More than 80 per cent of chronic back and knee pain sufferers still suffer from pain following treatments recommended by a healthcare professional, according to new research for Bupa.

Despite the scale of chronic joint pain in the UK (22 million back pain; 13 million knee pain) and its debilitating effect on sufferers, sufferers say their treatment options are limited - and in many cases ineffective[1].

- More than one in three chronic joint pain sufferers say their condition significantly impacts their quality of life (41 per cent back pain; 39 per cent knee pain)
- Around one in three chronic joint pain sufferers is disappointed by their treatment (33 per cent back pain; 29 per cent knee pain)
- Around half of sufferers say their treatment options are limited (55 per cent back pain, 47 per cent knee pain)

The research, carried out among 4,000+ UK adults, reveals that sufferers are seeking to fill the current gap in treatment options between pain relievers and surgery:

- More than 80 per cent of sufferers do not believe pain killers to be a very effective form of treatment (84 per cent back pain; 85 per cent knee pain)
- More than three quarters (82 per cent back, 77 per cent knee) are seeking a non-surgical solution to their chronic joint pain.

Today, Bupa launches a breakthrough new treatment for chronic knee and lower back pain, which aims to help address this growing need. The APOS Treatment (which stands for All Phases of Step Cycle) combines two simple principles for treating lower back and knee pain: realigning the body as it walks and introducing a mild instability, which encourages the retraining of the systems that stabilise the joints.

It is a non-pharmaceutical, non-surgical solution which heals as you walk and fits easily into people's everyday lives. The APOS Treatment:

- can eliminate the need for prescription pain relief for seven out of 10 people[2].

- can reduce the intensity of knee pain by an average of 66 percent after just eight weeks[3]

- can eliminate the need for pain relief for lower back pain sufferers in seven out of 10 cases[4]

- can significantly improve joint function and enhances patients' quality of life and

- has a high success rate: 86 percent of people who have experienced the APOS Treatment would recommend it to a friend or relative[5].

The APOS Treatment has two key elements: The APOS WalkrightTM, high-tech footwear which is individually adjusted to address patients' specific pain needs, and a six-month programme of care that provides ongoing clinical and computerised assessment of your walking pattern and readjustments as your needs change.

The APOS Treatment was first invented in Israel in 2005 at the acclaimed Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre. Since then, 12,000 people have undergone the APOS Treatment.

This month Bupa is bringing the APOS Treatment to the UK for the first time. The first step for anyone interested in the APOS Treatment is to undergo a free hour-and-a-half assessment at a Bupa centre to see whether APOS is suitable for them. This includes an in-depth consultation with a clinician and a computerised gait analysis which assesses the way they walk.

If the APOS Treatment is appropriate, patients will receive a six-month programme of care, including a series of follow-up assessments with a clinician, where the Walkrights are adjusted to meet their changing pain needs, as well as on-call telephone support from the Bupa team. The cost of APOS Treatment is £2,925 when paid up front or £3,250 when spread over six-months: an initial payment of £1,750 followed by five monthly payments of £300.

Laura Samuels, a school librarian and mum of two from Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, was one of the first to trial the APOS Treatment in the UK. Laura said: "I had split the anterior cruciate ligament in both knees and suffered from arthritis and constant pain before trying the APOS Treatment. Now, I no longer feel any pain in my knees and don't have to face the prospect of surgery. This treatment has completely changed my life."

Dr Peter Mace, deputy medical director, Bupa said: "By bringing this innovative treatment to the UK for the first time, Bupa is providing an additional treatment option for people with knee and back pain. It helps plug the gap between simple pain relievers and surgery."

Dr Amit Mor, chairman and co-founder of APOS, said: "People are best placed to treat their joint problems if they have good alignment and feel less pain, features which APOS provides. We're delighted to be working with Bupa to bring the benefits of the treatment to back and knee pain sufferers in the UK."

[1] Source: Research Now- online survey of a representative sample of 4,008 UK adults (aged 16 +) between 4th and 11th June 2009.

[2] Source: Communications Centre of the Brandman Institute in Tel Aviv. Telephone interviews conducted in March, 2008 among 200 people, aged 35 +,using the APOSTreatment. Seventy percent of those taking prescription pain relief before their APOS Treatment reported no longer needing pain relief afterwards. Eighty percent of the sample were being treated with APOS for knee pain, and 20 percent for back pain.

[3] Source for this emerging evidence is: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center. Zerifin, Israel. A medical study of 57 people with knee osteoarthritis was carried out in Israel between September 2005 and February 2006. The study has been registered with http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT00457132

[4] Source: As footnote 2 - above

[5] Source: As footnote 2 - above

Source
UK Health Services