Chronic Pain: An American Phenomenon
When discussing pain, symptoms can be placed in one of two categories: acute or chronic. While acute pain is a temporary sensation produced by the nervous system to alert the patient of injury or illness, chronic pain is much different. Chronic pain persists for days, months, or even years as the nerves continue to fire painful signals to the brain. Although some chronic pain sufferers have an ongoing cause of pain, such as arthritis or cancer, others experience pain without any history of injury or illness.
- Millions in the U.S. Suffer from Chronic Pain: In the United States, more men and women are suffering from chronic pain. According to the Institute of Medicine, approximately 116 million Americans currently suffer from chronic pain, affecting more people than diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer combined. Many of these chronic pain sufferers also experience psychological distress and have trouble concentrating and sleeping. A survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health Statistics indicated that lower back pain is the most common type of chronic pain, followed by severe headache, neck pain, and facial pain.
- Billions of Dollars Are Spent on Pain Care: Unfortunately, the symptoms of chronic pain are not the only burden on the citizens of the United States. The medical costs of pain care, including the economic costs related to productivity, disability days, and lost wages, cost from $560 billion to $635 billion each year. To help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain and defray this enormous and growing cost to the American people, much research is being done to investigate more advanced treatment options for pain management.
If you are in need of relief for symptoms of chronic pain, contact the Pain and Wellness Center in Peabody at (978) 826-7230. Our experienced and compassionate healthcare team will help you to learn more about how you can better manage your pain and regain control of your health.
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