A Northumbria University researcher is to investigate the impact of pain in people with Parkinson’s disease with a view to improving how this pain is managed.
Dr Jenni Naisby, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, will receive around £300,000 in fellowship funding from the Medical Research Foundation.
Pain affects around 85 per cent of people with the disease and can severely impact their quality of life.
Dr Naisby’s previous work showed a lack of awareness among health professionals and a lack of evidence to support treatment.
The researcher will co-design a pain management toolkit for people with Parkinson’s, as well a training package for health professionals which will then be clinically-tested.
Dr Naisby will share her findings through blogs, videos and a public event.
Dr Naisby said:
“We have an extremely limited understanding of how pain in Parkinson’s behaves over time and whether it interacts with other symptoms.
“We’ll be speaking directly to people with Parkinson’s, their carers, and healthcare professionals, to better understand these issues and develop resources that will improve how pain in Parkinson’s is managed.”
Three mid-career researchers at King’s College London, University College London (UCL) and the University of Bristol will also receive funding to help people suffering with chronic pain.
The fellowships aim to improve diagnosis, treatment and recovery for the millions of people living with chronic pain.
More than a third of the UK’s population are believed to be affected by chronic pain.
UK government research from 2017 found that 53 per cent of those aged 75 and over are affected.
