We bring together a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, educators and technologist to improve understanding of all forms of pain and their treatments – from acute pain to chronic pain management

Pain is as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.

When pain is brief or short-term, it acts as a warning for the body to seek help. However, when pain never goes away, becomes severe and persists month after month despite the causes being treated, it can go on to cause severe physical and psychological problems.

Chronic pain affects at least 10 percent of the world’s population – approximately 700 million people – with estimates of chronic pain prevalence closer to 20-25 percent in some countries and regions. An additional one in 10 people develop chronic pain every year worldwide. The pain is locking many patients in to a cycle of pills, depression and bed rest.

The total associated cost of lost workdays and healthcare adds up to over billions dollar per year, making it one of world’s most costly healthcare problems.

Usually, but not always, of short duration eg. after surgery, injury, burns or other short-term episodes.

Acute pain can affect the heart, lungs, and other key body systems and can be life threatening. Research at Hope Clinic Care aims to improve the treatment of acute pain to prevent life threatening risks, and is developing methods to detect those at risk of progressing from acute pain to severe persistent pain.

Chronic pain describes any type of pain that continually persists for more than 3 months, despite attempts to diagnose and treat an underlying cause.

There are over 300 conditions that may lead to persistent pain, such as “shingles”, amputation, severe burns, spinal cord injury, low back or neck injury, surgery of various types, hernia repairs and many other causes.

Evidence from Hope Clinical Care and other international groups such as Harvard University, show that without relief, persistent pain can go on to cause severe physical and psychological problems and can sometimes lead to suicide.

In these cases, the pain itself becomes the problem and is recognised as a disease.

We bring together basic, clinical and translational researchers to run a number of research programs investigating mechanisms and treatment of severe persistent pain problems.

Research is includes the study of basic pain mechanisms and the development and evaluation of innovative multidisciplinary treatments.

Research developments are quickly translated into new approaches and innovative treatment methodological in pain management.

We also offer non-award units of study and run professional development events, seminar and short courses for health professionals interested in developing their knowledge further in the field of pain management.