According to JAMA: “1 in 5 adults suffer chronic pain. 8% had high–impact chronic pain defined as limiting life or work activities on most days or every day during the past 6 months, according to a CDC report.
Chronic pain is a growing public health concern in the United States, costing an estimated $560 billion each year for medical care, lost productivity, or disability services, according to a 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report.
In addition to interfering with day-to-day activities, chronic pain is associated with dependence on opioids, anxiety and depression, and a poor quality of life, according to the CDC report.
Previous estimates of chronic pain among US adults varied between 11% and 40%. With the goal of fulfilling a recommendation of the National Institutes of Health’s National Pain Strategy, the CDC analyzed data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey to get a more precise estimate of chronic pain prevalence.”
Approximately one in three Americans suffer some form of chronic pain in their lifetimes, and about one quarter of them are not able to do day-to-day activities because of their chronic pain.
And this next statistic is staggering: Between 80% and 90% of Americans experience chronic problems in the neck or lower back. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/chronic_pain.asp
What exactly is Chronic Pain Syndrome?
According to Columbia University, “Unlike acute pain, this condition doesn't go away after your initial injury or illness has healed. It's marked by pain that lasts longer than six months and is often accompanied by anger and depression, anxiety, loss of sexual desire, and disability.” https://www.columbianeurology.org/neurology/staywell/document.php?id=42106
Pain comes in many forms.
There is acute pain following an accident, illness or surgery.
And there is chronic pain stemming from bone, muscle or nerves (neuropathic) and caused by either vascular (vessels) issues, inflammation, obstruction or distension.
Chronic pain can also be caused from consumption of GMOs and gluten.
If you said yes to any of the questions, you’re not alone.