Melatonin - an artificial hormone widely used to treat insomnia - could help alleviate chronic pain, slashing the need for harmful painkillers, a new study has found.
While we all experience pain differently, chronic pain lingers for more than three months - causing poor sleep, low mood, reduced physical activity, fatigue and memory problems.
The condition is on the rise in the UK, now affecting 40 per cent of the population, compared to just one in five worldwide.
Almost 2 million more people are expected to suffer from sore backs, necks and other body parts by 2040, research shows.
This impending pain surge will add to the strain on GP services and hospitals and also increase NHS spending on pain-relieving drugs, experts warn.
