Community
13 September, 2024
Riding for chronic pain sufferers
WARRNAMBOOL physio Adrian Benson will be pedalling hundreds of kilometres across the district over the next week to promote chronic pain management.
Adrian, who grew up in Cooriemungle and has worked in Warrnambool for the last 16 years running chronic pain programs, is all too familiar with the challenges faced by sufferers, particularly those in small rural communities.
This week’s ‘Pain Revolution’ ride will see Adrian and a group of cyclists tackle a 750-kilometre journey from Mt Gambier to Horsham.
“We will travel an indirect route between the two towns, stopping at many towns along the way to deliver free community events to increase awareness of effective treatments available to people with chronic pain,” Adrian said.
“We’re also hoping to raise money for scholarships to help rural and regional healthcare professionals to do further training in the field.”
It is hoped those professionals will then become local pain educators, taking their advanced knowledge and skills in pain education and care to their colleagues and communities.
In turn, this would enable more people to have access to skills, knowledge and local support to prevent and overcome persistent pain.
The ride will begin in Mount Gambier tomorrow, Saturday September 14 and will end in Horsham next Saturday, September 21.
The tour will include events in Millicent, Narracoorte, Hamilton, Ararat and Stawell before the final event in Horsham.
Appropriately named the Rural Outreach Tour, it is anticipated the event will bring together scientists, researchers and clinicians for a ‘tour de force.’
“Along the way we hope to upskill local communities and health care providers, to learn and share the skills for chronic pain management,” Adrian said.
‘Pain Revolution’ has a big challenge ahead to give all Australians the knowledge, skills and access to local support to prevent and overcome persistent pain
Persistent pain is pain that affects people’s lives for a longer time than needed for tissues to heal, and can last from months to years
Persistent pain is Australia’s most costly health problem and the most common reason for early retirement from work – with its greatest impact in regional and rural areas.
“Our initiatives focus on community wide education, empowering every Australian with the necessary skills, knowledge and local resources to address persistent pain,” Adrian said.
“We aim for a future where community empowerment and support are the keys to overcoming persistent pain.”
Statistics show that chronic pain affects more than 3.4 million Australians, with 68 per cent of sufferers of working age, while 40 per cent are forced into early retirement due to chronic pain.
