The National Institutes of Health conducted a recent survey on chronic pain. The results of this survey indicated that a considerable number of Americans suffer from low-back pain, headaches or migraines:
- Low-back pain: 27%
- Headaches of migraines: 15%
It is estimated that 76.5 million people have experienced persistent pain that lasts for over 24 hours. This includes low-back pain, headaches, migraines, and other types of pain. In general, 30% of adults ranging in age from 45-to-64 have pain that lasts over 24 hours. This is followed by 25% of adults between the ages of 20-to-44. For adults 65 and older, just 21% reported that they experienced pain that persisted for over 24 hours.
Every year, the financial cost of chronic pain is estimated at $100 billion. On average, workers lose 4.6 hours of productivity as a result. In addition to healthcare expenses, this figure includes lost wages and productivity.
In a workforce survey, it was found that 52.7% of the workers polled experienced pain in the past two weeks. This included the following types of pain:
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Musculoskeletal
As a result of experiencing these and other types of pain, 12.7% were unable to be as productive during the two-week time frame. Furthermore, 51% of these individuals claimed that they either experienced minimal or no control over their pain.
It is not surprising that productivity decreases when workers experience chronic pain. In addition to missing work, they may be unable to perform well due to the following effects of chronic pain:
- Concentration issues: 70%
- Depression: 77%
- Life enjoyment: 59%
- Low energy: 4%
- Sleep issues: 86%
On a daily basis, six-out-of-ten patients indicated that they experienced breakout pain. This breakthrough pain occurred one or more days during the day, and had a major impact on their overall well-bring and quality of life.
In order to learn how to manage chronic pain, or when possible, eliminate it entirely, it’s important to visit a pain clinic. Pain is difficult to ignore, and chronic pain even more so. If you’re experiencing chronic lower back pain, chronic middle back pain, chronic tension headaches, migraines, or other types of pain, it’s important to make an appointment at a pain clinic.
A pain clinic can provide a variety of treatment options due to having experienced medical professionals on staff. In addition to chiropractors and osteopaths, pain clinic staff tend to include therapists and other mental health professionals.
