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• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Unemployment and return to work >> Unemployment and return to work

Unemployment and return to work

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• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP02 >> Has not worked so is not entitled to incapacity benefits but claims a top up disability benefit and mobility allowance.

Multiple tests all negative. Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, 1996. Pain management: In-patient NHS pain management programme. Current medication: tramadol, amitriptyline, sertraline. Past medication: ibuprofen, paracetamol, diazepam

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP05 >> Was annoyed because his employers seemed to make no effort to help him back to work and he felt he lost his independence.

Head, neck and back pain following injury at work in 1998. Treatments: Physiotherapy after injury. Pain Clinic. Pain management: One-to-one psychology counselling. Pain Association Scotland Living with Pain course Current medication: co-dydramol, ibuprofen.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP08 >> Put off claiming benefits because he believed he would get back to work but now regrets using up his savings.

Back pain following injury working with horses 1999. Surgery: Discectomy, 1999. Treatment: Pain Clinic for epidural steroid injection. Current medication: co-codamol (Tylex), codeine phosphate, tramadol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP23 >> Reflects on how her life differs from what she had expected it to be.

Pain due to damage to spinal cord from Chiari I Malformation and syringomyelia. Pain started 1997. Surgery: Essential cranial cervical decompression and laminectomy, 1999. Treatment: Pain Clinic for medication. Current medication: gabapentin (Neurontin), dothiepin, tramadol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 61-80 >> Interview CP30 >> Felt a tremendous sense of loss because he gave up a career and has only accepted the loss since he has retired.

Back pain since 1970s. Surgery: Removal of benign tumor 1983. Treatments: Spinal injections. Pain management: Out-patient NHS patient pain management programme. Current medication: None.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP32 >> Had to give up his well paid job and now has to be very careful with money.

Back and right leg pain following spinal stroke, 1997. Treatments: Nurse led Pain Clinic. Advice and medication. Current medication: morphine patches and gabapentin. Past medication: amitriptyline, dihydrocodeine.