JEDDAH — Around a third of diabetic patients in the Kingdom suffer from neuropathic pain, according to a medical expert. Dr. Abdullah Muhammad Kaki, chairman of the Saudi Society of Pain Medicine (SSPM), said this is one of the major problems faced by diabetic patients in the Kingdom. Kaki, who is head of the department of anesthesiology and intensive care at King Abdulaziz University's faculty of medicine, made the remarks while delivering a lecture at a workshop for journalists. The workshop was organized by the society within the framework of its awareness campaign called “Know about your pain and co-exist with it”. Kaki said more than 28 percent of Saudis are diabetic. “This is a high figure, especially when compared to the Western countries. Nearly 55 percent of chronic back pain patients in the Middle East suffer from neuropathic pain, while the figure is between 25 and 37 percent in the Western countries.” Dr. Kaki said diabetic neuropathy is the result of a diabetic micro vascular injury involving small blood vessels that supply nerves. This happens when the blood sugar count reaches a higher level. According to the American Diabetes Association, only 25 percent of diabetic neuropathic patients were diagnosed with the disease. About 56 percent of those affected with diabetic neuropathy do not know that they are victims of this. “These patients suffer from a host of other complications and mental disorders such as anxiety and difficulty in sleeping,” said Dr. Kaki. The workshop highlighted the role of media in raising awareness among diabetes patients about neuropathic pain. It also stressed the need for the proper diagnosis of such disorders using tested medical methods. SSPM, founded in 2008, works to increase awareness and knowledge about pain among medical workers and the public. It also contributes to creating an environment free from pain, besides providing methods of prevention and treatment of pain for people in the Kingdom.
