How uni teams are working to end postcode lottery of pain treatment

A third of adults aged 35 or over in some areas of North Staffordshire may suffer severe and persistent pain in their back or joints — now researchers from Keele are working to reduce the inequalities they are facing

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RESEARCHERS from Keele University are working with communities across North Staffordshire to reduce inequalities faced by people with back pain and osteoarthritis.

Statistics show that in some areas of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, as many as one in three adults aged 35 or over have musculoskeletal conditions which impact on their daily lives.

They can cause severe and persistent pain and significantly impact on people's quality of life.

Conditions like arthritis and back pain are also more common in communities with higher levels of poverty and those with a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

But the new data has also revealed that the care people can access varies greatly between these regions, as do their health-seeking behaviours, and the Keele research team are now looking at ways to change this to make access to healthcare more equitable.