Pain Clinics Promote Road Safety According To New Research; Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, Salem Pain Clinic, Canada

New Research Shows That Pain Clinics Enhance Driving Towards Road Safety; Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, Salem Pain Clinic, BC, Canada

SURREY, BC, CANADA, August 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the public imagination, pain clinics are usually associated solely with treating chronic physical pain. However, emerging research shows that these specialized clinics contribute a far more expansive societal role by promoting road safety and protecting lives on the road. Pain clinics are integral to promoting road safety by identifying and treating health conditions that impair people’s ability to drive safely. A recent peer-reviewed publication in SVOA Medical Research sheds new light on this overlooked connection between pain therapy and road traffic risk mitigation. The clinical study was led by Dr. Olumuyiwa Bamgbade and the Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic.

The study reviewed clinical data from over 1,200 patients treated at the pain clinic over a 7-year period. It found that a distinct subset of patients, approximately 4.9 percent, were referred for therapies related to road safety and driving fitness. These people were predominantly young adult males who had been flagged due to concerns about medication-induced impairments, mental health instability, substance misuse, or chronic pain dysfunction that interferes with motor coordination and cognitive alertness. These risk factors are relevant in the context of driving, where split-second decisions and full physical responsiveness are essential for safe operation of a vehicle.

The pain clinic in this study did not simply conduct assessments and make recommendations. It became a therapeutic hub for resolving or mitigating the very issues that jeopardized a patient's ability to drive safely. Through targeted opioid tapering programs, mental health support, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation, the clinic provided a structured pathway for at-risk individuals to regain safe driving capacity. In some cases, the pain physician coordinated directly with transportation authorities or occupational health departments to evaluate and certify a patient's fitness to resume driving duties.

The study demonstrated a strong and significant relationship between the type of therapy a patient received and their demographic background, particularly age and gender. This emphasizes the importance of tailoring public safety strategies to specific population segments, such as early adult males who may be at heightened risk for both chronic pain and impaired driving. The role of pain clinics in preemptively addressing these risks is both cost-effective and life-saving.

Beyond the individual level, the societal implications are profound. The integration of road safety into pain management represents a proactive form of public health risk management. Healthcare systems can utilize pain clinics as early intervention points instead of waiting for tragic outcomes, such as motor vehicle collisions caused by medically impaired drivers. This approach preserves lives and reduces the burden on emergency services, legal systems, and insurance providers.

Furthermore, the comprehensive model practiced by the pain clinic aligns well with the principles of enterprise-wide risk management. It involves identifying systemic risks, implementing preventive interventions, and working across disciplines to reduce threats to safety and well-being. This puts pain clinics in a unique position to act as both treatment centers and gatekeepers for medically at-risk drivers in the context of road safety.

As healthcare systems continue to evolve toward more integrated and socially responsive models of care, the value of pain clinics as contributors to public safety should not be underestimated. Their work in enhancing driving fitness illustrates how treating pain is not only a matter of personal health but also one of community protection and strategic risk reduction.

Indeed, the collaboration between pain management and road safety policy is both logical and necessary. By expanding the role of pain clinics beyond traditional therapy and into the realm of driver assessment and rehabilitation, healthcare providers can actively contribute to safer roads and stronger communities. Policymakers, insurers, and public health leaders would be wise to support this expanded role, because safe roads begin with medically fit drivers, and medically fit drivers begin with the right care at the right time.

Dr. Bamgbade is a healthcare leader with an interest in value-based healthcare delivery. He is a specialist physician trained in Nigeria, Britain, the USA, and South Korea. He is an adjunct professor at institutions in Africa, Europe, and North America. He has collaborated with researchers in Nigeria, Australia, Iran, Mozambique, Rwanda, the USA, Kenya, Armenia, South Africa, Britain, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, China, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Cuba, and Canada. He has published 45 scientific papers in PubMed-indexed journals. He is the director of Salem Pain Clinic, a specialist and research clinic in Surrey, BC, Canada. Dr. Bamgbade and Salem Pain Clinic focus on researching and managing pain, health equity, injury rehabilitation, neuropathy, insomnia, societal safety, substance misuse, medical sociology, public health, medicolegal science, and perioperative care.

Reference
Bamgbade OA, Savage KJ, Bamgbade TO, Tase NE, Bada BE, Yimam GT, Mwizero AG, Oyewole TE, Chansa M, Gitonga GG, Oluwole OJ, Thibela T, Martinez YL, Chauke GD. Pain Clinic and Societal Safety: Promoting Road Safety, Family Well-being, Workplace Safety, and Risk Management. SVOA Medical Research 2025, 3:4, 159-166.

Olumuyiwa Bamgbade
Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic
+1 778-628-6600
salem.painclinic@gmail.com
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