Persistent pain is more common in Jersey than most people realise.
1 in 2 adults – around 47,740 Islanders – live with some form of persistent pain.
1 in 5 adults – around 9,600 people live with moderate to severe pain that affects how they work, socialise and manage everyday tasks.
What persistent pain feels like
At Pain Support Jersey, we know how challenging persistent pain can be.
Pain that lasts for months or years often has no clear cause and can be invisible to others.
It can affect anyone — friends, family, colleagues — and while the intensity varies from person to person, it doesn’t just go away. Even when it’s not always severe, it can disrupt daily life, limit mobility, cause exhaustion and affect mental wellbeing.
It affects every age group
Although persistent pain is often linked with ageing, that isn’t the full picture.
1 in 3 young adults (18–39) live with persistent pain, showing it affects people right across working and family life.
It’s also a major issue for older adults:
Nearly 2 in 3 people aged 75+ live with pain that lasts months or years.
Persistent pain impacts people at every stage of life.
It affects families and the wider community
Pain doesn’t just affect individuals.
It influences family life, workplaces, social connection and independence.
It can lead to isolation and make everyday life harder to manage.
That’s why support, connection and clear information matter - and that’s where Pain Support Jersey helps.
Figures are estimated using UK prevalence data applied to Jersey’s adult population. National sources include the British Pain Society, Pain UK and BMJ Open (2016).
UK Pain Messages: https://www.britishpainsociety.org/british-pain-society-publications/uk_pain_messages/
Being pain-aware means listening, including and understanding - not making assumptions.
