Chronic Pain: Fast Facts
Reviewed By:
Vikas Garg, M.D., MSA
- More than 50 million Americans experience chronic pain that interferes with daily activities, according to the American Pain Foundation.
- Chronic pain is often defined pain that lasts for six months or longer. It may remain constant or may come and go.
- Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.
- The American Pain Foundation describes pain as the fifth vital sign after blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature.
- Research indicates that men and women respond differently to pain. Women are believed to seek help more quickly, are more likely to use a variety of support resources to deal with pain and recover more quickly.
- Pain is the number one complaint of older Americans, and one in five older Americans regularly use painkillers, according to the American Pain Foundation.
- There are two main types of pain: nociceptive and neuropathic.
- Nociceptive pain occurs when the peripheral nerve receptors that sense actual or potential tissue damage are stimulated by an unpleasant sensation.
- Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to the peripheral or central nervous system.
- The first step in treating chronic pain is seeking medical care to diagnose the cause.
- Many doctors have had little training in pain care and may be unaware or not fully informed of treatments that can help to relieve pain.
- People who wish to see an expert can ask their doctor to recommend a pain management specialist or, for certain conditions, other specialists such as a rheumatologist, orthopedist or neurologist.
- Different pain facilities offer different services, so it is important to find a facility that has the right expertise for treating your condition.
- The cause of chronic pain is not always evident.
- In a survey by the National Institutes of Health, lower back pain was Americans' leading pain complaint, followed by headaches, neck pain and facial pain. Other common conditions include fibromyalgia (a chronic condition characterized by muscle and bone aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances) and myofascial pain syndrome (marked by chronic pain in muscle tissues).
- Repetitive stress injuries, such as tennis elbow, are musculoskeletal conditions that result from repeated motions performed during work or other activities.
- Many women, particularly elderly women, underreport pain for a variety of reasons.
- Medical and technological advances have made pain more manageable today than ever before.
- Pain management involves the use of medications, nondrug treatments (such as physical therapy, heat and massage) or a combination of both to help patients reduce or better tolerate pain.
- One common way to treat pain is through the use of analgesics (painkillers).
- Exercise is often prescribed as a way to treat and prevent pain.
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