Prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States

Abstract

Chronic pain is associated with reduced quality of life, increased medical expenditures, and significant economic costs. Chronic pain is among the most common chronic conditions in the United States, although estimates vary widely regarding its precise prevalence. Understanding the scope of the problem using the most contemporaneous data is therefore an important goal. This study sought to determine the prevalence of chronic pain and its impacts among adults in the United States using the National Health Interview Survey, a household-based annual survey of self-reported health status of U.S. adults that can be used to generate national-level estimates. Using a chronic pain module introduced in the 2019 edition of National Health Interview Survey, we found that 50.2 million adults (20.5%) reported pain on most days or every day. 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. Respondents with chronic pain reported limitations in daily functioning, including social activities and activities of daily living. Respondents with chronic pain reported significantly more workdays missed compared with those without chronic pain (10.3 vs 2.8, P , 0.001). Overall, these findings indicate that more than 1 in 5 adults in America experiences chronic pain; additional attention to managing the burden of this disease is warranted.

Examination of Stigmatizing Language in the Electronic Health Record

“…We used natural language processing to assess patterns of stigmatizing language use in the inpatient admission notes of all inpatients at an academic medical center and subgroups of patients with 3 conditions—diabetes, substance use disorder, and chronic pain. These conditions were selected because they are common among US inpatients (approximately 20% have a diagnosis of diabetes, 17 10% have a diagnosis of a substance use disorder, 18 and 10% to 20% have a diagnosis of chronic pain 19 , 20 ) and because they carry stigma. 21 , 22 , 23 The conditions were also selected because literature exists on stigmatizing language in these conditions and because stigma’s adverse effects on care for these illnesses has been documented.…”

Psychosocial Treatments for Chronic Back Pain Are Safe and Effective—and Vastly Underutilized

“…Our analysis shows underutilization of talk therapy (1.9%), self-management programs (2.6%), and peer support groups (0.9%). Although 7.8% of respondents with chronic pain used meditation or guided imagery, overall our findings indicate there is substantial room for improvement on introducing psychological strategies to help manage chronic pain,” according to R. Jason Yong, MD, et al (See Yong et al, 2022. )…”

Editorial: Placebo Effect in Pain and Pain Treatment

“…Research into the biology, treatment, and prevention of pain has blossomed over the past decade. Recent data from the US suggest the nationwide prevalence of chronic pain is 20–21% ( 1 , 2 ). Chronic pain appears more prevalent among women and older adults ( 3 ).…”