Prevalence of chronic pain in Pakistan - a national survey.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of chronic pain, its physical and psychosocial impact on daily life, and the various therapies adopted to alleviate pain.

Methods: The cross-sectional population-based telephonic survey was conducted from May to July 2021 at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, and comprised patients of either gender aged at least 18 years suffering from chronic pain who visited the institutional laboratory collection centres. In the first phase, people who were suffering from chronic pain were screened, while in the second phase, data was collected using a detailed questionnaire exploring pain history, treatment and its effects.