Why ‘Can you feel my Pain’?

Often, diagnosis of neuropathic pain (NeP) can take several years due to barriers in communication between doctors and patients. In some countries people wait up to 19 months on average and visit two or more doctors before they receive an accurate diagnosis.

The Neuropathic Pain Network (NPN) believes it is important to make people aware of the condition so that they can ensure they visit their doctor sooner rather than later, should they experience any of the symptoms.

What is the ‘Can you feel my Pain’ campaign?

The ‘Can you feel my Pain?’ campaign brings together a series of events across Europe to raise awareness of this severe pain condition, by highlighting the daily plight of people with NeP . The campaign ‘brings to life’ the pain that people suffer by providing visual and comparative images and statements to which the general public can relate.

Renowned 3D street artist’s Manfred Stader and Edgar Mueller created interactive artwork on city streets in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Berlin to depict the symptoms of NeP (burning, stabbing, shooting pain). The amazing 3D art proved to be a huge hit, drawing crowds of interested people.

About the ‘Can you feel my Pain’? Patient and Consumer Survey

The NPN conducted a survey,5 in association with Pfizer, in which 800 consumers and 150 patients were interviewed, across the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. The survey highlights the plight of thousands of people with NeP by contrasting their acute daily suffering with everyday activities that members of the public would typically find painful and reveals the lack of awareness of NeP across Europe.

Look out for more information about the survey results on 13 October 2008!