Christine Doyle hears the plight of sufferers of chronic pain and examines possible new treatments

Sharp pain, such as that suffered when accidentally touching a hot oven, is acute and unbearable.

A speedy reaction is a basic survival instinct. Imagine the sensation lingering for months, even years, and you begin to have an idea of what people with chronic pain have to endure.

More than one in 10 people in Britain live with long-term pain, and many feel that their plight is largely unrecognised and under-treated. Despite the increasing number of pain clinics offering a mix of physical, psychological and complementary approaches, surveys suggest that only one in four patients sees a pain specialist.

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