Major research project to study chronic pain

Chronic pain is a major global public health challenge that causes significant disability. A new research consortium and national chronic pain data hub could improve outcomes for the many people living with painful and debilitating conditions, such as fibromyalgia, lower back pain, headaches and migraines, thanks to a joint £14 million grant from UKRI and Versus Arthritis.

The consortium and hub is a joint and equal investment from UKRI and Versus Arthritis. For UKRI, the initiative is led by the Medical Research Council, with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The new Advanced Pain Discovery Platform will see four new research consortium and a national chronic pain data hub. One of the projects, a four-year £3.8 million study focusing on the psychosocial aspect of chronic pain, will be led by the University of Bath and involve researchers from the universities of Bristol, Bath Spa, Cardiff, Keele, Royal Holloway, University College London, and UWE Bristol.

The project will study the psychological and social factors that influence people’s experience of pain. To date, researchers understanding of their relative importance is limited and little is known how psychosocial factors influence biological signals of pain.

Professor Ed Keogh, of the Bath Centre for Pain Research at the University of Bath and Bristol Health Partners Chronic Pain HIT, is the consortium lead and principal investigator. He explained:

“Chronic pain is incredibly common and can be highly debilitating. With one in five of us experiencing chronic pain, this new research funding provides a much needed and timely opportunity to understand better how chronic pain develops and is maintained.

“Pain is a highly complex topic, and this funding will enable us to conduct transformative research. Not only does it allow us to research the mechanisms underpinning chronic pain in more detail, but it also enables us to work together collaboratively across different institutions and with colleagues across the UK. Greater understanding will ultimately help us to develop better ways of treating and managing pain.”

Dr Neha Issar-Brown, Director of Research at Versus Arthritis, explained:

“We are delighted to be supporting Professor Keogh and colleagues to deliver this consortium as part of the ground-breaking Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (APDP).

“We know that millions of people live in chronic pain every day, a vast majority of whom have musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis. For many of them current treatments are not effective. People living with pain have told us that pain is complex and multidimensional. Research into pain needs to reflect this and understanding more about the psychological and social factors that are important in chronic pain is critical to improve our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms, holistically, to lead the way to more innovative treatments. I’m confident that research funded through the APDP initiative will help transform the lives of people affected by chronic pain.”

Find out more about the project and wider UKRI and Versus Arthritis funding