Why is it important?

Many people living with IBD experience significant pain and fatigue.

Research shows 86% of people with active IBD report fatigue and, even in remission, 40% say fatigue is their greatest concern¹. Fatigue can affect every aspect of a patient’s life, making normal, everyday activities, such as work, exercise or seeing friends feel like a challenge.

In the past, fatigue has not been taken seriously as part of managing long-term chronic conditions. But today, particularly in cancer care, it’s now seen as an important part of a patient’s overall care.

Many IBD patients experience debilitating pain, too. A 2016 study found that 60% suffered from abdominal pain and 38% from back pain².

Pain can affect people with either active or inactive IBD. For around half, pain is an ongoing problem².

Resources and further information

Crohn's & Colitis UK information sheet: Fatigue and IBD

The fatigue checklist - developed to help patients and clinicians understand the impact of fatigue and work out the best level of care

Pain Collaborative Research Network – set up by Crohn’s & Colitis UK to help promote research into the causes and management of pain in IBD

¹ Crohn’s & Colitis UK (2014) Tackling Challenges in IBD Fatigue Report 2014.

² Zeitz J, et al. (2016) Pain in IBD Patients: Very Frequent and Frequently Insufficiently Taken into Account. PLoS ONE 11(6): e0156666. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156666