Press Releases 2010

New solutions to optimise pain management presented by
CHANGE PAIN Initiative

Over 200 pain specialists attended International Expert Summit

Aachen/Rome, 21 June 2010. Pain specialists from across Europe recently
met in Rome at the CHANGE PAIN Expert Summit to discuss current needs
and latest insights in chronic pain management. At the scientific event
organised by Grünenthal, experts from the international CHANGE PAIN
Advisory Board presented the most important results of their first
three meetings for the first time. Highlights were presentations of the
PAIN EDUCATION programme and the CHANGE PAIN Scale – two new tools
supported by the expert group to improve chronic pain management in daily
practice. The first PAIN EDUCATION eCME module is now available and can
be accessed via www.change-pain.com.

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Aachen, 20 May 2010 - Although chronic pain affects around 20% of adults in Europe and the USA, there is substantial evidence that this debilitating condition is often inadequately treated. A group of international pain experts has now published a first commentary calling for a CHANGE in the pharmacological management of severe chronic pain. The publication represents a consensus reached by the international Advisory Board of CHANGE PAIN^® – an initiative by German pain expert Grünenthal, which is endorsed by the European Federation of IASP^® Chapters (EFIC^®). To improve patient outcomes, a thorough understanding of underlying pain mechanisms and a multi-mechanistic treatment approach is required. The experts call for user-friendly educational tools for physicians and for a better communication between physicians and pain patients in order to agree on individual treatment objectives...

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Aachen, 18 January 2010 - Currently, chronic pain treatment is driven mainly by pain intensity and not by the underlying mechanisms. In consequence, pharmacological treatment does not always result in sufficient analgesia, as the international advisory board of CHANGE PAIN - an initiative by the German pain expert Grunenthal and strongly endorsed by the European Federation of IASP^® Chapters (EFIC^®) - observed. During their second meeting in Zurich in November 2009, the pain experts called for a change towards a more mechanism-orientated treatment approach. To provide guidance for healthcare professionals, the international expert group discussed a unique online education programme that aims to move treatment from symptom-control towards mechanism-orientated management of severe chronic pain. In addition, the experts requested further research about patients' needs and proposed that a new tool be implemented to improve the communication between patients and healthcare professionals...

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