Secondary Prevention of Chronic Pain: Can Internet Help?

SUMMARY 

Chronic pain is common and strongly impacts the individual and society as a whole. Although there are effective multidisciplinary treatments available, they are often not easily accessible and designed for people with severe long-lasting problems. The main aim of this paper is to propose and stimulate debate about how the internet can help to increase accessibility and promote a shift toward secondary prevention. Specifically, internet can help by providing access to educational websites containing information for professionals and the general population. Internet can also be useful for creating accessible interventions designed to reduce risk factors for the development of long-term disability. The involvement of society in general and the professionals working in the field is fundamental for advancing in this direction.

KEYWORDS:

• chronic pain
• educational websites
• internet interventions
• secondary prevention

Financial & competing interests disclosure

R Nieto’s research has been supported during the years 2013 and 2014 (period in which the present work was developed) by: the Catalan Government (2014SGR858), the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), the program Recercaixa (Fundació La Caixa), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

R Nieto’s research has been supported during the years 2013 and 2014 (period in which the present work was developed) by: the Catalan Government (2014SGR858), the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), the program Recercaixa (Fundació La Caixa), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.