A recent report from the Institute of Medicine described in an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association has discussed the magnitude of the prevalence of pain in the US. The article states that about 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. This is pain that lasts weeks or months; Not bumps and bruises that resolve quickly.
The data used to determine this number is based on a number of techniques to review medical information and was assembled at least in part by the National Center for Health Statistics. If you have chronic pain, you are not alone. These numbers are also consistent with research from the World Health Organization that estimates that 37% of the population in developed countries has chronic pain.
The prevalence estimates of adults for selected pain conditions were also listed in the report. Moderate pain affected 10% of the population, or 21.3 million people. Another 11% had severe pain, effecting about 22.5 million. Joint pain affects about 33% of the population. Arthritis of all types affects 25% of the population. Functional disability affects 12% of the population. The authors also noted that the study did not include children, military personnel, people in prison, and those in long-term care facilities.
The report mainly concentrates on the fact that there is a huge number of people who deal with chronic pain on a daily basis. However, we do not have good information of the impact of pain on employment, disability, functional abilities and the direct and indirect costs. In general, there is minimal information available on the cost of pain, in terms of medical expenditures and secondary costs to society.
The report makes a strong recommendation for a national, population-level prevention and management strategy. A public health approach to pain management is necessary, including prevention, care, education and research. It also recognized the serious problems associated with opioid use and diversion, and the need to develop a better approach to pain care that is beyond the use of such addictive medication.
As noted in this article, reducing the effects of pain and its associated morbidities with regards to the quality of life will require a cultural transformation. Chronic pain itself may need to be considered as disease. The extent of this disease affects about 4 out of every 10 adults in developed nations worldwide. Patients and healthcare providers need to recognize the problem and develop improved treatment and management solutions for the complex condition.