Interestingly, telemedicine has emerged as a potential solution to address rural pain management gaps. To enhance access and awareness in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the top suggestions included local training programmes for general physicians, establishing regional pain clinics and government support for affordable pain medications

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 this year, the survey reached out to 1,000 medical professionals, of which 746 doctors responded, marking a significant rise from 350 respondents in 2024.

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.

The survey is aimed at understanding from the medical community’s perspective, the barriers, unmet needs, and possible pathways to strengthen pain management in India.

Nearly 44 per cent of the respondents strongly agreed that pain management needs to be recognised and formalised as a dedicated medical speciality within the healthcare system. Lack of awareness, limited education, and the absence of specialised pain clinics were seen as the primary obstacles to achieving effective pain care. Around 44.4 per cent of doctors identified lack of awareness and education as the biggest barrier, while 34.6 per cent cited lack of specialised pain clinics as a major concern. Around 46.6 percent of respondents highlighted the need for structured education and training programmes, establishment of comprehensive pain management centres, public awareness initiatives, and evidence-based clinical guidelines. Also highlighted was the delayed health-seeking behaviour at the patient level. About 47.3 per cent of doctors said patients often delay getting assessed for their pain.

Access to pain management services in rural and underserved regions remains severely limited. More than half the respondents (52.3 per cent) felt that such services were mostly unavailable or inadequate, while 30.8 per cent stated that services were only partially available. The top three gaps identified were lack of trained healthcare professionals (52.8 per cent), insufficient patient awareness (48 per cent), and absence of dedicated pain clinics (43 percent). This has resulted in a growing trend of patient migration to urban centres for pain relief.

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.

The most common choices include over-the-counter oral analgesics (69.6 per cent), pain balms or topical applications (49.3 per cent), and herbal or home remedies (39.1 per cent).

Interestingly, telemedicine has emerged as a potential solution to address rural pain management gaps. About 41.3 per cent of respondents rated it as effective and another 20.1 per cent as very effective in extending pain care access to underserved areas. The survey also revealed that multimodal therapy (47.6 per cent) and patient education and counselling (36.7 per cent) 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, establishing regional pain clinics and government support for affordable pain medications.

Despite the growing need, several doctors are refraining from pursuing pain management as a speciality. The reasons cited include lack of formal training opportunities, perceived low financial viability and limited institutional support in managing chronic pain cases. Commenting on the survey findings, Malavika Kaura Saxena, CMO at Rusan Healthcare, said, “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. 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.”

Notably, the representation was geographically diverse with 42.1 per cent of respondents from Tier 2 cities, 40.1 per cent from Tier 1 cities, 14.6 percent from Tier 3 towns, and 6.4 per cent from rural and underserved regions.

The majority had between five to ten years of clinical experience (33.9 per cent), followed by those with 11 to 20 years (23.9 per cent) and less than five years (23.3 per cent).