Chronic pain – defined as pain which persists beyond three months – is often poorly understood.

 

The statistics around chronic pain are sobering, with 3.4 million Australians affected by the condition. Over two-thirds – 68% – of those with chronic pain are of working age, with the condition causing 40% of early retirements.

 

Chronic pain is incredibly challenging to live with; 45% of people living with chronic pain experience anxiety or depression as a result, while suicidal behaviour is two to three times higher in those with the condition than the general population.

 

These alarming figures are a major driver of insurance claims, with approximately half of AIA Australia’s income protection claims and 43% percentage of Total and Permanent Disability claims for chronic pain.

 

AIAA’s passionate rehabilitation team are focused on supporting our customers’ return to wellness. However, this process can prove challenging if a customer is completely overwhelmed by pain.

 

We understand that our customers with chronic pain often feel helpless as they try every avenue to reduce their suffering. Unfortunately, many of the treatments frequently taken up by those with the condition are not evidence-based, and can also be very expensive.

As the scientific medical literature makes clear, receiving pain education significantly improves many people’s experience of chronic pain. Despite this strong correlation, it is currently very difficult for Australians to access evidence-based pain education. 

For example, pain science has revealed that pain is not a direct reflection of tissue damage. Instead, pain is a key protective mechanism of the brain. Importantly, though, this doesn’t mean that chronic pain isn’t real – or debilitating. 

If our brain believes we are unsafe, it can become overprotective – a condition which can remain no matter how much treatment the sufferer receives.

 

Yet while this is undoubtedly a terrible situation to experience, there is hope. If the brain can become overprotective, we can also train it to become more resilient.

To help achieve our goal of making a positive difference in people’s lives, AIAA have developed our acclaimed Pain Coach Program. This initiative has one overarching aim – to enable customers suffering chronic pain to enjoy a life which is not dominated by pain, via providing pain education and creating behavioural change. Our efforts help customers with this condition live richer, more satisfying lives due to improved function.

 

AIAA partnered with Professor Lorimer Moseley AO and the University of South Australia to undertake a research pilot, aiming to establish whether pain coaching could be effective in improving customers’ health outcomes. This, the first research study conducted within the global context of life insurance, demonstrated pain coaching’s effectiveness in successfully managing musculoskeletal claims.

 

AIAA have been providing our Pain Coach Program via telehealth for three years, supporting over 1000 customers. We were very proud to win the 2021 FSC – Innovation in Group Life Insurance Award for this forward-thinking and proactive initiative.

 

The program consists of five pain education sessions, each delivered via telehealth. We have consistently seen improved health outcomes as a result, with participants reporting a 27% reduction in pain and an 82% improvement in function on average.

 

While supporting customers who have been on claim for more than two years is challenging, we are delighted with a range of impressive outcomes:

 

Customers who have sustained injuries for two years prior to the program have also done very well:

 

With this ground-breaking program offered to customers of all ages, it is pleasing to see that we have assisted the recovery of younger customers who were at risk of never returning to work:

 

We understand chronic pain’s impact on our customers as well as on broader society. For this reason, we are the proud major sponsor of Pain Revolution’s Go the Distance Challenge.

 

Go the Distance is Pain Revolution’s annual month-long major fundraising and pain awareness event. This October, participants are challenged to run, walk or ride as far as they can to support people living with persistent pain.

 

Right now, we’re calling on all AIA Australia staff and partners to get involved. For more information on this important event and to register,
visit Pain Revolution (raisely.com).