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Chronic pain campaigners are accusing the Scottish Government of “hiding” the true number of patient victims.
New figures reveal that more than 60,000 patients use pain clinics every year.
The figures are three times higher than the “official” 20,000 patients declared by the Government.
For the first time, campaigners have been able to count new and return patients by using Freedom of Information legislation.
Christopher Bridgeford, of campaign group Affa Sair, said the situation was at crisis point and some are in so much pain, they are considering suicide.
Mr Bridgeford said: “Chronic pain sufferers are hidden victims struggling to cope and don’t have big charities to help, as heart and cancer patients have.”
Campaigners claim the failure to adequately fund pain services has led to extra strain on emergency services.
Official figures show that, of 48,000 pain patients tracked over three years, 77% – 36,877 people – had used out-of-hours GPS, ambulances and A&E.
Former MSP and chronic pain campaigner Dorothy-grace Elder said: “Even though new patients should be seen within 18 weeks, only half the health boards meet that legal target.
“But the greatest scandal has always been the hidden tens of thousands of return patients who have no limit to their waiting times – some can be 18 months or more beyond the time clinicians have asked to see them again.”
The Scottish Government said: “More than £102 million has been provided to health boards in 2019-20 to help reduce waiting times, including those for chronic pain services.”