Pain specialists across the country highlight barriers in awareness, access, and training Mumbai, October 13th 2025: RusanMed, an initiative by Rusan Healthcare, has released the findings of its latest Independent Survey on Pain Management in India, shedding light on the pressing challenges and systemic gaps that continue to impede effective pain care delivery in the country.

Conducted in 2025, the survey reached out to 1,000 medical professionals across India, of which 746 doctors responded, marking a significant rise from 350 respondents in 2024. The survey aimed to understand, from the medical community’s perspective, the barriers, unmet needs, and possible pathways to strengthen pain management in India.

Nearly 44 percent of the respondents strongly agreed that pain management needs to be recognised and formalised as a dedicated medical speciality within the healthcare system. The survey further revealed that lack of awareness, limited education, and the absence of specialised pain clinics were seen as the primary obstacles to achieving effective pain care in India. Around 44.4 percent of doctors identified lack of awareness and education as the biggest barrier, while 34.6 percent cited lack of specialised pain clinics as a major concern. When asked about critical factors for improving the current state of pain care, 46.6 percent of the participants highlighted the need for structured education and training programmes, establishment of comprehensive pain management centres, public awareness initiatives, and evidence-based clinical guidelines.

Another major issue that emerged from the survey was delayed health-seeking behaviour at the patient level. About 47.3 percent of doctors said patients often delay getting assessed for their pain, and 30.2 percent reported that patients always delay seeking treatment. Access to pain management services in rural and underserved regions remains severely limited. More than half the respondents (52.3 percent) felt that such services were mostly unavailable or inadequate, while 30.8 percent stated that services were only partially available. The top three gaps identified were lack of trained healthcare professionals (52.8 percent), insufficient patient awareness (48 percent), and absence of dedicated pain clinics (43 percent). This has resulted in a growing trend of patient migration to urban centres for pain relief, with 50.3 percent of doctors reporting that their patients from rural areas sometimes visit city hospitals, 22 percent saying they always do, and 23.9 percent indicating they rarely do.

The survey also brought to light a critical concern — the lack of awareness and access to appropriate pain management options, which often leads patients to resort to self-medication. A significant number of patients attempt to manage pain on their own before consulting a doctor, with 31.9 percent of physicians stating this happens often, 31.8 percent saying sometimes, and 27.3 percent saying almost always. Only 12.1 percent reported that patients rarely self-medicate. The most common choices include over-the-counter oral analgesics (69.6 percent), pain balms or topical applications (49.3 percent), and herbal or home remedies (39.1 percent). Consequently, most individuals seek professional help only when pain becomes severe—51.6 percent consult doctors when their pain intensity reaches 7–8 on the pain scale, 15.5 percent at a very severe level of 9–10, and 39.4 percent when pain is moderate (4–6).

Interestingly, telemedicine has emerged as a potential solution to address rural pain management gaps. About 41.3 percent of respondents rated it as effective and another 20.1 percent as very effective in extending pain care access to underserved areas. The survey also revealed that multimodal therapy (47.6 percent) and patient education and counselling (36.7 percent) were considered the most successful pain management strategies by participating doctors. To enhance access and awareness in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the top suggestions included local training programmes for general physicians (38.2 percent), establishing regional pain clinics (36.6 percent), and government support for affordable pain medications (35.9 percent).

Despite the growing need, several doctors are refraining from pursuing pain management as a speciality. The reasons cited include lack of formal training opportunities (40.2 percent), perceived low financial viability (39.4 percent), and limited institutional support in managing chronic pain cases.

Commenting on the survey findings, Mrs. Malavika Kaura Saxena, Chief Marketing Officer, Rusan Healthcare, said, “At Rusan, we have always believed that pain management is not just a clinical issue but a pressing public health priority. Through this one-of-a-kind nationwide survey by RusanMed, we sought to capture the real voices of doctors across India and highlight the systemic challenges they face in addressing pain. The overwhelming participation of over 746 specialists this year underscores the urgency of the matter and the need for structured solutions. We hope these insights will spark dialogue among policymakers, healthcare providers, and stakeholders to bring pain management to the forefront of India’s healthcare agenda. Our commitment is to continue enabling knowledge, driving awareness, and fostering collaborations that can improve access and outcomes for patients everywhere.” The participation spanned across multiple pain specialities, such as anaesthesia, pain and palliative care, orthopaedics, gynaecology, neurology, and surgery, providing a well-rounded understanding of the current state of pain care. Notably, the representation was geographically diverse with 42.1 percent of respondents from Tier 2 cities, 40.1 percent from Tier 1 cities, 14.6 percent from Tier 3 towns, and 6.4 percent from rural and underserved regions. Most respondents were from private institutions and nursing homes (70.8 percent), while 16.4 percent were from corporate hospital chains and 11.3 percent from government institutions. The majority had between five to ten years of clinical experience (33.9 percent), followed by those with 11 to 20 years (23.9 percent) and less than five years (23.3 percent).

About Rusan Med Rusan Med is a dedicated knowledge and awareness platform, led by Rusan with a mission to emerge as a prominent advocate specialising in conversations about several specialised therapeutic segments such as pain management, addiction treatment and Parkinsons. The platform offers a comprehensive range of educational resources and products meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs of patients and caregivers.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR