The Consortium Against Pain InEquality (CAPE) is a project that brings together scientists, clinical researchers, pain specialists, psychologists and people with lived experience of chronic pain to understand how adverse childhood experiences might lead to an increased vulnerability to chronic pain in adulthood.
People who experience chronic pain may face challenges in finding the right treatment. In many cases, this has a serious impact on their quality of life. Current treatment pathways often focus on painkillers, which leads to side effects, can be addictive and become less effective over time. Better understanding of the mechanisms of pain can lead to better treatment.
CAPE aims to understand how adverse childhood experiences might contribute to future pain. Having a traumatic experience as a child – for example, abuse, neglect, violence, or deprivation – can have a lifelong impact on a person’s life. About half of us may endure at least one such experience, but research has found that people who report having several adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are more likely to have health problems later in life. Not all people who experience adverse childhood experiences go on to suffer from chronic pain.
The aim of CAPE is to better understand the impact of exposure to ACEs on inequalities in chronic pain and its treatment with an emphasis on engaging people with lived experiences. CAPE’s work will give those with lived experience greater empowerment and control over treatment options, improving their quality of life.
More information can be found here .
