One in six suffer arthritis in silence

ONE in six people in Ireland suffer in silence, according to a leading consultant rheumatologist, because they feel they should not trouble their doctor with pains associated with growing old.

Dr Douglas Veale, consultant rheumatologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin called on the Government to give a higher priority to pain management after a European-wide report showed 42% of people with chronic pain suffer in silence.

Support group Arthritis Action Ireland (AAI) surveyed 5,803 people with musculoskeletal problems and chronic pain and 1,483 doctors across eight countries.