Aberdeen University seeks volunteers with syndrome to tell their stories

Chronic pain sufferer pins hopes on research

By Lori Reid

Published:

HELPING OTHERS: Michael Morrison is thankful for the support of his wife Rosemary as chronic pain took its toll. Kenny Elrick

For almost three decades Michael Morrison has suffered agonising pain without knowing why – or how to cure it.

The Aberdeenshire man is one of 7.8million people in the UK who suffer from chronic pain syndrome.

Chronic pain is a pain or ache anywhere in the body that lasts longer than three months and is difficult to treat. The most common area affected is the lower back, with muscle spasms and bone pain.

It can also follow an injury which would appear to have healed.

Mr Morrison said: “My pain is so bad that when it first started I couldn’t really do anything for myself at all.

“I had to be lifted out of my bed and into the bathroom.”

A cure could be in sight as researchers in Aberdeen are investigating chronic pain syndrome.

Aberdeen University is holding a series of seminars to look into chronic pain and is asking for sufferers in their 60s to come forward and tell their stories at the seminars – the first will take place at Foresterhill Health Centre on January 26.

For Mr Morrison, 60, of Keith Lane, Drumoak, his problems began in 1981 after he injured his back playing cricket.

He had three operations on his lower back due to the intolerable pain in his back and arms.

Soon after the third procedure Mr Morrison started getting severe pain in his legs, shoulders and head.

It was then he was diagnosed with chronic pain and prescribed a high dosage of diamorphine to cope.

He said: “I had no feeling in my right leg and my legs felt cold all the time.

“I had no idea what chronic pain was but painkillers were the only way I could get some relief.”

The problem also took a huge toll on Mr Morrison’s personal life.

He said: “I used to own my own financial services company but, as the owner, I had to be there all the time.

“With the pain, that just wasn’t possible so I had to give it up.

“I had a lot of financial difficulties but I was in too much pain to cope. It was my wife, Rosemary, who dealt with it all. She really was my rock.”

After attending a pain management course in Manchester, Mr Morrison and his 61-year-old wife set up the Grampian pain management group in 2000, teaching others different methods of pain relief such as exercise and relaxation techniques.

Mr Morrison said: “It’s great for other people who are going through this to see they are not alone and the support really helps.”

Mr Morrison believes that the university’s research programme could make a huge difference to sufferers and has urged them to take part. He said: “It’s like what we are doing at the group, sharing our stories to help each other. The research really could make a difference.”

Dr Pat Schofield from the university said: “The seminars will begin with a presentation by one of our chronic pain experts.

“Then we will break out into little groups where we want to hear the experiences of people with chronic pain and what they think we should be looking at regarding the problem.”