Painaustralia is Australia’s leading pain advocacy body working to improve the quality of life of people living with pain, their families and carers, and to minimise the social and economic burden of pain on individuals and the community.

Media Release

18 September 2025

No One Should Face Pain Alone: Wear it Red for Pain on 19 September

This 19 September, Painaustralia invites Australians to join Wear it Red for Pain as part of International Pain Awareness Month. With chronic pain affecting around 3.6 million Australians, this national initiative aims to raise awareness, break down stigma, and make sure people living with pain feel seen, heard, and supported.

Pharmacies across the country will also be participating by wearing red, displaying campaign resources, and helping to start important conversations about the reality of living with chronic pain.

June 2025

We are proud to share Painaustralia’s 2024 Annual Report, highlighting a year of renewal, advocacy and impact.

From driving national conversations on pain policy, launching new tools like the Opioid Safety Toolkit and Kaha App, to celebrating excellence through our inaugural Pinnacle Awards - this year’s report captures our continued commitment to amplifying the voices of people living with pain.

Read the full report here and see how we are working to create a more supportive and equitable health system for the 3.7 million Australians affected by chronic pain.

The House of Wellness

June 2025

Raising awareness and understanding of chronic pain in our community is one of the ways we can address the associated stigma. Our CEO Monika Boogs chatted to Sarah Maree Cameron and Gerald Quigley about chronic pain on the House of Wellness radio program aired around the country last Sunday. Listen here.

Greens adopt policy to double allied health visits.

February 2025

Painaustralia would like to thank the Federal Greens party who have adopted our policy to double allied health sessions for pain management from 5 to 10. Painaustralia has advocated for this change for the last couple of years. It is pleasing to see the Greens acknowledge the needs of Australians living with chronic pain. To see the Greens' commitment visit here.

Shingles Survey Report

Read the media release here.

February 2025

A new Painaustralia report, It’s Not Just a Rash, released today ahead of Shingles Awareness Week (February 24 – March 2), reveals the alarming toll shingles takes on individuals and their families including financial hardship, long-term pain and health complications. The report, based on insights from over 100 Australians affected by shingles, underscores the need for broader access to the shingles vaccine.

Download the report here.

Our Latest Media Release

New pain communication tool by patients for patients

8 September 2025

New pain communication tool by patients for patients

A new tool designed by patients to help patients like themselves communicate the daily realities and challenges of living with chronic pain has been 15 months in the making – and now, Dragon Claw Charity, Painaustralia, and Pain Education and Management are inviting consumers, clinicians, health professionals, and the wider community to help shape its final form.

The My Pain assessment Communication Tool (MPaCT) has been co-designed with consumers at every stage, drawing on the lived experiences of people in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.A. Unlike traditional pain scales, MPaCT captures not only where pain is felt, but how it affects daily life, providing a more complete picture to guide treatment and care.

“As a consumer-led organisation, we know first-hand how challenging it can be to describe chronic pain,” said Dragon Claw Charity’s Director Dr. Charmaine Jones.

“Clear communication is the foundation of good healthcare and finding the appropriate words and being able to describe your pain to your GP or health professional can at times be difficult. MPaCT not only supports people living with pain to express their experience but can help their health professional understand how it is actually impacting their lives so they can get the care they actually need.”

“Chronic pain is invisible and difficult to explain, yet it affects every aspect of life,” said Painaustralia CEO Monika Boogs.

“This tool has been built with consumers who have been central to this project from day one and now we’re asking the wider community and clinicians to help us refine it further by using MPaCT when they visit their health professional and provide us feedback on its usefulness and if it meets their needs via our survey.”

“Too often, people living with pain feel unheard. MPaCT gives them a stronger voice, helping patients clearly express their needs to healthcare professionals,” said Dean Minchington, Director of Pain Education and Management.

Kim Allgood is a consumer who lives with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and other persistent pain conditions and has been one of the patients who have helped to design the MPaCT tool.

"We all know the importance of communicating our pain to our medical team. Now we will have a tool that makes it possible,” she said.

MPaCT is available as a free, interactive PDF that can be downloaded, personalised, and taken to healthcare appointments. People living with pain, their carers, and healthcare providers are encouraged to try the tool and share their experience through a short online survey.

You can download the MPaCT tool and provide feedback about its usefulness at:

Consumers: https://www.jotform.com/app/252190992023859

Clinicians and health professionals: https://www.jotform.com/app/252220177270852