The Analgesia Foundation is sounding the alarm: according to its first national barometer, published on World Pain Relief Day, nearly one in two French people live with chronic pain. This figure, which represents approximately 23 million adults, reflects a worrying and often overlooked reality.
Invisible and persistent suffering
Musculoskeletal pain (36%) comes first, ahead of orofacial (33%), abdominal (15%), and neuropathic (12%) pain. Nearly half of those affected rate their pain at a level higher than 6 out of 10, according to the barometer. For Professor Nicolas Authier, president of the Analgesia Foundation, this situation constitutes a true silent health crisis: "Chronic pain means living with constant suffering for at least three months, with no prospect of recovery. Some people even begin to imagine the worst." In addition to physical suffering, the psychological effects are significant: sleep disturbances, depression, social isolation. More than a third of those affected have moderate to severe functional disability, and two-thirds believe their condition has not changed or has even worsened over the past six months.
Inadequate care and lack of medical training
Care remains largely deficient. Only a third of patients say they are satisfied with their medical follow-up. In the majority of cases, treatment relies exclusively on the general practitioner, while national recommendations provide for a multidisciplinary approach. Dr. Marc Lévêque, a neurosurgeon in Marseille, deplores the poor recognition of the specialty: "Algology, which deals with chronic pain, has no official status. It lacks resources, visibility, and training." France's 270 pain relief centers are saturated, and less than one in three patients has access to them. This situation pushes many patients to turn to self-medication: 87% resort to it, often with paracetamol, and 16% even consume opioids without a prescription.
A call for a great national cause
Faced with this observation, the Analgesia Foundation is calling for a massive effort in research and training. Professor Authier advocates for the fight against pain to become a major national cause: "Innovation has stagnated for decades, while pain silently destroys lives." Conducted among nearly 12,000 French people between January and February 2025, this barometer highlights a little-known collective suffering, at the intersection of medical and social issues, which calls for an urgent and coordinated response from the public authorities.
