Pain Management In The US – Some Unreal Facts
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 figure is well over 100 million Americans, and combines acute and chronic 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.
Interestingly, those families with incomes that are not 2x the poverty level have adults in more pain than those above that level. Adults in those families are more likely to seek treatment at Florida pain management clinics.
Types Reported
The types of pain in America follow a rather expected path. A recent survey of what pains were the most common were low back pain (27%), followed by migraines and headaches (15%), and facial pain (4%). Most injuries affect the back in some way, and headaches are precursors of other problems.
How Long It Lasts
Of the adults over 20 who had pain, the durations were placed into percentages too. These were:
Over a year – forty two percent
Under one month = 32%
Between 90 days to one year = 14%
12% – 1 to 3 months
How Pain Affects the US 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. Patients with low back pain see such providers as chiropractor Jacksonville FL. 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 is impossible to circumvent, when it is addressed early at a pain management Jacksonville FL center, the effects are usually much less of a hardship than when they are simply ignored. Because so many people will always experience it, treating pain will continue as a healthcare issue.