About 7.8 million people suffer from chronic long-term pain in Britain. They end up putting a huge burden on the health service and on the economy.

A study has warned that several people keep suffering from pain after the original injury heals. These people finally can end up having ever-stronger painkillers.

Reports state that two per cent of chronic pain sufferers seek specialist help and a quarter of patients feel that their doctors are not aware about how to treat them.

Irene Tracey, Nuffield professor of anaesthetic science at Oxford University, said, “The latest data on chronic pain showing how the brain structure changes and how long-term damage can be done, means I should be defined as a disease. This would mean the chronic pain would be taken more seriously.”

She said certain cultural issues needed to be conquered. It was outdated in today’s time to think that pain was good for you and that women should suffer from pain during childbirth.

Dr Beverly Collett, consultant in pain medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester, said, "A lot of people get really stigmatised because you cannot see pain. We are trying to get pain taken more seriously."