NEW research suggests that chronic pain sufferers in the North-East are failing to seek professional help to manage their condition.

More than 1,000 chronic pain sufferers in the UK were questioned as part of a study commissioned by Lloydspharmacy to find out how people manage their pain and the impact it has on their life.

The findings revealed that despite over three quarters (78 per cent) of people in the North-East saying they have suffered from chronic pain for 'years', 42 per cent said that they aren't accessing regular support from their GP and over two thirds (68 per cent) have never used a pain clinic or a support group for help.

Despite this it appears that many of Britain's chronic pain sufferers remain reluctant to seek support that is available to them and are simply putting up with their condition despite the impact it has on their lives.

Nitin Makadia, pharmacist at Lloydspharmacy, said: "Nearly one in seven of us suffer with chronic pain in the UK yet a worrying number of people clearly feel that they have nowhere to turn for support.

"We've introduced this new free pain assessment service to offer people the chance to discuss their symptoms on a one-to-one basis with a specially trained member of staff who can offer lifestyle and medication advice. We know that often there's no cure for chronic pain but there are ways you can manage it better."