Chronic Pain Australia is the national voice for the 3.6 million Australians living with chronic pain.
Chronic Pain Australia is a non-profit, non-government, registered organisation founded in 2001. The organisation is driven by a group of committed volunteers advocating to reduce the social and economic barriers to those who live with chronic pain.
our vision
To improve the quality of life of those Australians who live with chronic pain.
our mission
We believe no Australian should live with chronic pain in isolation or without access to resources, support, and affordable high-quality healthcare. Chronic Pain Australia is dedicated to supporting Australians in effectively managing their pain to preserve their dignity and self-respect, regardless of age, gender, culture, belief, rural or regional location or socio-economic background.
our Purpose
Chronic Pain Australia aims to improve the knowledge and understanding of what it is like to live with and manage chronic pain amongst health consumers, carers, family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Chronic Pain Australia is committed to empowering chronic pain warriors to work towards supported self-management of their pain.
We do this by...
Providing accessible engagement opportunities for people in pain to be connected, validated, and empowered.
Partnering with researchers, peak bodies, policymakers, and organisations to reduce the burden and improve health outcomes for the chronic pain community.
Advocating for the rights of people living with chronic pain and ensuring the voice of lived experience is acknowledged and amplified.
Destigmatising the experience of living with chronic pain across the general community through National Pain Week activities.
Our Strategic Intent
Triple AAA standards of care
Chronic Pain Australia’s strategic intent is to ensure that all Australian’s living with chronic pain receive Triple AAA standards of care – Awareness, Accessibility and Affordability.
Awareness
Bringing awareness to best-practice treatment and management of chronic pain and improving the education and knowledge of those that not only live with chronic pain but also healthcare professionals.
Accessibility
Ensuring that all those who live with chronic pain can access multidisciplinary individualised care, despite their location, age, gender, cultural or ethnic background.
Affordability
Reforming healthcare infrastructure and funding to allow for equitable and affordable access to chronic pain treatment and management no matter your socio-economic status.
Become a member today
Sign up to the national movement demanding Triple AAA standards of care for those that live with chronic pain – Awareness, Accessibility and Affordability.
Awareness, Advocacy and Submissions
Chronic Pain Australia continues to collaborate with consumers, other organisations and institutions across Australia, to raise public awareness of the current issues impacting those with the lived experience of pain in Australia and advocate for action to make pain a healthcare priority.
This is achieved by our National Pain Week activities, various advocacy campaigns and public consultation submissions to government throughout the year.
Advocacy Campaigns
Public Consultation Submissions
- Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for De prescribing Opioid Analgesics (April 2022)
- Chronic Pain MedsCheck (June 2022)
- Community-based multidisciplinary model of care
Our Founder
Educator and counsellor Dr Coralie Wales set up the "Chronic Pain Power Group" (CPPG) in 2001 in response to an ever-growing gap in knowledge and support available for people living with pain.
Initially involving local face-to-face group meetings, Coralie soon realised there were people in need all over Australia and beyond. Many of whom were isolated and alone.
Coralie invited people to share their stories with her. They arrived in hundreds from all corners of the country, revealing overwhelming distress and despair and emphasising the urgent need for community care and support to be made available to this vulnerable group. Coralie shared these stories with her friend and long-standing Rotarian Lee Furlong, who quickly activated his Rotary connections to provide $7000 seed funding to establish a nationally available support channel. Thus, Chronic Pain Australia was born.
Having incorporated in 2006, Chronic Pain Australia ran its first conference in 2007. Powered by volunteers’ dedication, including Coralie, Lee, and recruits Mandy Nielsen and David Newman, Chronic Pain Australia established the world’s first support hotline for people living with chronic pain. Further work saw the establishment of web-based resources and community connection sites, including the Chronic Pain Australia online discussion forum and the first Australian chronic pain awareness campaign – National Pain Week.
Today, Chronic Pain Australia is the voice for tens of thousands of Australians living with chronic pain. We have undertaken annual snapshot research to understand the experiences of people living with chronic pain in Australia, including how they manage it. We engage through social media, having built a community of over 9500 people that cross over into our 24/7 online forum with over 3000 users. Importantly, we continue to reduce stigma and raise awareness of chronic pain through our National Pain Week campaign each year in July.
Chronic Pain Australia is a volunteer-led organisation that is dependent on the generosity of our members and supporters.
Our People
Donna Ciccia
Donna originally studied Fashion Design/Business, and after battling chronic health conditions, she studied Holistic Nutrition and Homeopathy and is now a Master of Research Candidate. Donna is the Co-founder and Board Director of Endometriosis Australia.
In 2018, Donna was named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence. In 2019, she was Blackmore’s Women Wellness – Change Being and, in 2021, a finalist for NSW Women of the Year Awards – Community Hero and an Australia Day Ambassador.
Donna is a member of the Federal Government’s Endometriosis Expert Advisory Group. Donna is a national and international speaker and co-authored research publications.
Kathie Elliott-Scott
Kathie is passionate about assisting small to medium arts, disability and social justice organisations source extra funding, sustainability, diversification, and support for their programs through establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, generating revenue and raising their profiles through targeted campaigns and advocacy work. She has developed and maintained many key corporate and community partnerships/sponsorships as well as conceptualised and managed several fundraising appeals and campaigns that have delivered on both engagement and set objectives for the stakeholders involved.
Wesley Joseph
Wes is an experienced leader within the healthcare space, with a keen focus on operations, process improvement and strategy in improving access to healthcare for all. He is the Executive General Manager of Operations of an Australian telehealth business, an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) pharmacy board examiner, and currently working towards completing his CPA (accounting). As a practicing consultant pharmacist, Wes understands that access to medicines plays an integral role in improving quality of life to those most vulnerable. Wes also has a personal experience with pain, and because of this, is acutely aware of the issues being faced with those experiencing physical pain in various forms.
Get Involved
Become a Member
Chronic Pain Australia is a member-based organisation and there are several different membership levels available.
Make a tax deductible Donation
We are a registered health promotion charity, and donations above $2 are tax deductible. Donations are processed through a secure PayPal network, and you can choose to make a one-off or regular monthly donation. A PayPal account is not required.
Partner with Us
Chronic Pain Australia regularly partners with organisations, peak bodies, government, and other charities to develop and deliver resources for our community. Please contact us directly should you wish to discuss partnership opportunities.
Hold a Fundraising Event
You might like to invite your friends and family to consider donating to Chronic Pain Australia in lieu of gifts for celebratory events. Alternatively, you can raise money and awareness for Chronic Pain Australia by asking people to sponsor you to participate in one of the many fundraising challenges held around the country each year.
Event proceeds can be donated to Chronic Pain Australia via our Paypal account.
Please contact us should you require any assistance or further information.
Make an in-kind donation by contributing your skills or products
Not able to make a cash donation but still want to contribute? As a volunteer-based organisation, Chronic Pain Australia is often looking for people who can help us achieve our mission. Please contact us directly should you wish to support us in this way.
Use your voice to share the story
We understand that many within our community cannot donate their time or money, but you can always use your voice to make the world a better place for people living with chronic pain. You might like to share Chronic Pain Australia information and resources with your own networks and use #ChronicPainAustralia on your social media posts to ensure your voice is amplified alongside the millions of others in the global chronic pain community.
#ChronicPainAustralia
Contact Us
Chronic Pain Australia operates Australia-wide, with volunteers across the country.
postal address
PO Box 425, Baulkham Hills , New South Wales 1755, Australia
General, membership and fundraising enquiries
Media enquiries
Chronic Pain Australia
@chronicpainaust
@chronicpainaustralia
Chronic Pain Australia
Chronic Pain Australia
Connect with us online!
Follow us for trusted information and use #ChronicPainAustralia to share your lived experiences with others. Connect with us and your community. Your voice matters.
