The Voice of Canada News:

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, announced the funding for the Centre of Excellence in Chronic Pain at McMaster University. The Centre of Excellence will focus on the creation and distribution of knowledge and research on chronic pain, one of the most prevalent health concerns among the Canadian Veteran population.

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, Veterans and their families face unique challenges due to the nature of military service. VAC’s 2016 The Life After Service Survey found chronic pain contributed significantly to various challenges for Veterans. Compared to the general Canadian population, Veterans experience higher levels of physical and mental health challenges, including higher rates of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. Chronic pain is unique and challenging to treat, requiring interdisciplinary attention to complex biological, psychological and social factors.

McMaster University is well-positioned to host the Centre of Excellence on Chronic Pain, as it currently houses both the Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre and Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care (IPRC).

Faculty members are also health care professionals at the Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic of Hamilton Health Sciences, which treats a significant number of Veterans who are referred to the clinic by physicians from across Canada.

The announcement was made at the McMaster University Medical Centre and the Centre of Excellence on Chronic Pain will be located in the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery (MDCL).