Chronic pain is among the most common chronic conditions in the United States, but estimates of its prevalence and impact vary widely. In 2019, the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added a new set of questions relating to pain to its National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a large household-based annual survey that offers valuable insights into the health statuses of U.S. adults nationwide. In an article published in Pain, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mass Eye and Ear report that 50.2 million (20.5 percent) U.S. adults experience chronic pain based on analysis of the new NHIS data. They estimated the total value of lost productivity due to chronic pain to be nearly $300 billion annually.
"Chronic pain is a serious condition that affects millions of Americans," said corresponding author R. Jason Yong, MD, MBA, medical director of the Pain Management Center at the Brigham and associate chief of pain in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. "Other studies have touched on this fact, but data from pain clinics, hospitals and other providers tends to only provide information on people seeking out medical attention. Having the NHIS data to validate previous studies is incredibly impactful."
The authors found that respondents with chronic pain reported missing significantly more workdays compared to those without chronic pain (10.3 days versus 2.8). They used these figures to quantify the total economic impact of chronic pain on Americans, which they estimated to be $79.9 billion in lost wages. Those with chronic pain also reported more limitations to their engagement in social activities and activities of daily living. Back, hip, knee and foot pain were the most common sources of pain reported, and physical therapy and massage therapy were most commonly sought as treatments.
"The impetus for our study arose from the day-to-day clinical finding that many of our chronic sinusitis patients also reported headache, migraine and other forms of chronic pain," said senior author Neil Bhattacharyya, MD, MA, FACS, professor of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery at Mass Eye and Ear. "We decided to look at the bigger picture of chronic pain, and we were somewhat surprised at the large-scale presence of chronic pain in the US."
The 2019 NHIS included data from 31,997 adults across the nation. When the data was first published in May, investigators decided to focus their initial analysis on ascertaining national estimates of prevalence and impact, but plan to conduct further analysis of other questions included in the survey. This may reveal more specific trends related to pain and its treatment across the U.S., especially regarding opioid use.
"Given the overall scale and impact of pain on Americans, we see that a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach to treating pain is even more important than what we have been emphasizing over the past few decades," Yong said. "Pain medicine is relatively young as a field, and it encompasses specialties including emergency medicine, anesthesia, psychiatry, neurology, physiatry and radiology. We need all of the tools in our armamentarium to treat patients suffering from chronic pain."
FAQs
More than 51 million Americans experienced chronic pain in 2021 alone, according to CDC reports that analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey. This staggering number represents 20.9% of the United States population.
What percentage of US adults have chronic pain? ›
Research published last month in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that more than 51 million people – more than 20% of US adults – have chronic pain and 17 million – almost 7% of adults – have high-impact chronic pain.
What are the 5 A's of chronic pain? ›
A well-known comprehensive approach to the management of persistent pain is the Five A's of Pain Management: analgesia, activities of daily living, adverse effects, affect, and aberrant drug-related behaviors.
How many Americans have chronic back pain? ›
How common is back pain in the United States? A survey of U.S. adults in 2022 found that around 28 percent reported having chronic low back/sciatic pain.
Is at least 10 of the world's population affected by chronic pain? ›
Chronic pain affects at least 10 percent of the world's population – approximately 60 million people – with estimates of chronic pain prevalence closer to 20-25 percent in some countries and regions. An additional one in 10 people develop chronic pain every year worldwide.
How many US adults have a chronic condition? ›
are coping with chronic health conditions – diseases that are ongoing and generally not curable. Today, an estimated 133 million Americans – nearly half the population – suffer from at least one chronic illness, such as hypertension, heart disease and arthritis.
What percent of adults have a chronic condition? ›
More than half (51.8%) of adults had at least 1 of 10 selected diagnosed chronic conditions (arthritis, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, current asthma, diabetes, hepatitis, hypertension, stroke, and weak or failing kidneys), and 27.2% of US adults had multiple chronic conditions.
What are the 4 P's of chronic pain? ›
Discussion: The mnemonic presented for assessment is the '4Ps' (pain, other pathology/past medical history, performance/function and psychological/psychiatric status).
What is the 7 8 pain scale? ›
7 = Strong pain. It keeps you from doing normal activities. 8 = Very strong pain. It's hard to do anything at all.
What are the 5 C's of chronic disease? ›
In optimising the consultation, five C's need attention: control, compliance, complications, counseling/concerns, and customization. Patients with chronic conditions must become the principal caregiver themselves looking after their diet, exercise, lifestyle modification, medication use, and self monitoring.
More than 80% of the population will experience an episode of LBP at some time during their lives.
What percentage of people have chronic pain worldwide? ›
10% of the world's population - approximately 60 million people - endure chronic pain,[1] and fairly reliable estimates in individual countries and regions indicate chronic pain prevalence closer to 20-25% [5-7].
Will 80 of Americans experience back pain? ›
Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. Back pain can affect people of all ages, from adolescents to the elderly. Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor's office, behind skin disorders and osteoarthritis/joint disorders.
What country is best with chronic pain? ›
Leading Countries in Chronic Pain Management
- United States: A Hub of Innovation. ...
- Switzerland: Precision and Personalization. ...
- Germany: Excellence in Pain Research. ...
- Canada: Comprehensive Care. ...
- Australia: Integrative Approaches. ...
- Sweden: Patient-Centered Care.
Chronic pain is usually caused by an initial injury, such as a back sprain or pulled muscle. It's believed that chronic pain develops after nerves become damaged. The nerve damage makes pain more intense and long lasting. In these cases, treating the underlying injury may not resolve the chronic pain.
What is the most painful chronic condition? ›
Trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or fifth cranial nerve. It is one of the most painful conditions known.
What percentage of US population has chronic condition? ›
Chronic diseases are among the most prevalent and costly health conditions in the United States. Nearly half (approximately 45%, or 133 million) of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease [3,4,5], and the number is growing.
What is the most common chronic pain condition in the United States? ›
The most common pain locations were back pain and hip, knee, or foot pain. The most commonly used management strategies for chronic pain were physical therapy and massage.
What percentage of US population has chronic disease? ›
Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, like heart disease and stroke, cancer, or diabetes. These and other chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in America, and they are also a leading driver of health care costs.
