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Pain Management in America - the Facts






by David Greene


Significant attention is given each year to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, but in America chronic pain affects more than all of these combined. Approximately 1/3 of Americans are dealing with a pain problem.

That equates to 76.5 million people. This figure does not take into account those with acute pain.

Looking at this incredible amount of millions with chronic pain, one third say it is disabling and making it tough to perform simple activities of daily living. White males report pain the most, and 27% of men overall versus 24% of women are dealing with it.

One interesting fact is that adults in families who have incomes that are not double that of the poverty level have significantly more pain than those above that level.

Types Reported

The areas and types of pain in the US are as follows. Twenty Seven percent of pain is low back pain, with migraines and headaches coming in at 15%. Facial pain was lower at 4%. The back is affected with a ton of injuries since it sees so much stress, and headaches often lead to other issues.

How Long It Lasts

Of those over the age of 20 with pain, percentages were obtained on the pain duration:

Longer than a year = 42%

32% - Less than a month

Between 3 months and a year = fourteen percent

12% - 1 to 3 months

How It Affects the American Economy

Looking at the economics of pain in the workforce, it is estimated over $100 billion was spent on healthcare costs, lost productivity, and lost income annually. However, more recent figures show that low back pain by itself account for about $86 million. Adding in arthritis and other causes, it's well over $128 billion annually.

it's difficult to ascertain exact figures in America because of the indirect factors. If a person really wants to work and stays on the job through the pain may end up costing more later with emergency room visits, longer hospital stays, and unplanned doctor appointments.

While pain cannot be avoided typically, if it is addressed early then it is less of a problem. Pain is a verifiable epidemic, and these numbers show that.




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