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Disability: Magnitude of the Pain Problem Over 75 million Americans suffer serious pain annually: 50 million of those endure serious chronic pain annually (pain lasting 6 months or more), and another 25 million experience acute pain (from injuries, accidents, surgeries, etc.). [National Pain Survey, conducted for Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, 1999] Headache, lower back pain, arthritis and other joint pain, and peripheral neuropathy are the most common forms of chronic pain. ["Pain in America," study sponsored by Mayday Fund, 1998] MAGNUM, a World Headache Alliance (WHA) member, represent the United States, and its 32 million Migraineurs during the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first Migraine and headache disorder conference in Geneva, Switzerland which the following was noted regarding head-pain disorders; "These common neurological complaints impose a significant health burden, with nearly all migraine sufferers and 60% of those with tension-type headache experiencing reductions in social activities and work capacity." [Headache Disorders and Public Health WHO/MSD/MBD/OO.9] Over 26 million adults experience frequent back pain and 2/3 of Americans will have back pain during their lifetime. [Dionne, C.E., "Low back pain," Epidemiology of Pain, (Seattle:IASP) 1999.]
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The Gross Undertreatment of Pain in America A 1999 study, Chronic Pain in America, found that only 1 in 4 of those with pain received adequate treatment. ["Chronic Pain in America," survey conducted for American Pain Society, American Academy of Pain Medicine and Janssen Pharmaceutica, 1999.] An estimated 70% of those with cancer experience significant pain during their illness, yet in an early study of cancer pain fewer than half received adequate treatment for their pain. [Grossman, S., et al, "Correlation of patient and caregiver ratings of cancer pain," Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 1991; and Von Roenn, et al, "Physician Attitude and Practice in Cancer Pain Management," Annals of Internal Medicine, 15 July 1993 (119:2). A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) of nursing home patients with cancer found that 24% of patients with significant pain received nothing stronger than aspirin. Another study recently published in JAMA found that 41% of nursing home patients who were admitted with moderate to severe pain still had approximately the same level of pain 6 months later. The Cost of Pain to Society The National Institute of Health estimates that pain costs us over $100 billion/year in medical expenses, lost wages and other costs. [National Institute of Health, The NIH guide: New directions in pain research I, Washington, DC:GPO, 1998.] A study found that 50 million workdays were lost to pain in 1995. ["Pain and absenteeism in the workplace," study conducted for Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, 1997.] The same study revealed that untreated pain results in lower productivity, greater employee absenteeism, and higher insurance premiums. |
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