Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic pain, an ailment that threatens to become a global pandemic. Join us as we expose some of the most surprising statistics on the prevalence of chronic pain, its yearly cost, and other interesting details.
How Many People Suffer From Chronic Pain?
Reports have it that at least 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain — about one-fifth of the global population.
Eye-Opening Statistics and Facts on Chronic Pain and Its Prevalence
Chronic pain is a type of pain that can arise without prior injuries and typically lasts over 12 weeks. Let’s examine how this widespread ailment is prevalent worldwide and how it affects the economy.
There are at least 15 causes of chronic pain.
(WebMD)
They include:
- Prolonged poor posture
- Traumatic injuries
- High-heels
- Bad mattresses
- Aging
- Wrong weight lifting
- Obesity
- Congenital spine curvature
Certain diseases can also be an underlying cause of chronic pain, and they include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Stomach ulcers
- AIDS
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Gallbladder disease
Cancer, arthritis, and nerve damage are the leading causes of chronic pain.
(BUSPH)
Cancer pain is a type of chronic pain that tends to progress, unlike numerous other chronic pains.
According to statistics, low back pain is the number one chronic pain.
(BUSPH)
Neck pain ranks 4th, migraine ranks 6th, while osteoarthritis comes 13th on the list.
About 50 million Americans suffered from chronic pain in 2016.
(CDC) (HLM Law Firm) (ScienceDaily)
This is equivalent to 20.4% of the US population. Chronic pain is causing about $80 billion in lost wages every year due to chronic pain patients missing at least 10 workdays a year. This translates to $300 billion a year in lost productivity.
Approximately 20% of Europeans suffer from chronic pain.
(POLITICO Europe)
Despite the staggering number of chronic pain patients, the political (as well as public) awareness of this issue seems to be surprisingly low.
Though there are certain plans and programs in place, the cause seems to have limited government support, and there’s an evident lack of prioritization and coordinated national plans addressing the issue.
According to a 2020 survey, an estimated 18.3% of South African adults have chronic pain.
(NCBI)
The survey also suggests that South African women are more likely to develop chronic pain than men — 20.1% vs. 15.8% prevalence.
Age also proved to be a significant factor in developing chronic pain, as the chronic pain prevalence increased from 11.3% for the 15–24 age group and jumped to 34.4% for those aged 65+.
Remarkably, limbs were the most affected body parts (43.6%), closely followed by the back (30.5%).
Chronic pain cost the EU an estimated €441 billion (about $467 billion) in 2016.
(SIP Platform)
This doesn’t come as a surprise since an estimated 200 million Europeans suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, 153 million people have migraines and other types of debilitating headaches, while another 100 million individuals experience other forms of chronic pain.
Conclusion
Chronic pain is a globally widespread health issue depending on many factors, from bad posture to certain chronic diseases. This condition doesn’t reflect on the quality of life of the individual affected by it but on the economy too.
Therefore, immediate action and prioritization of national programs concerning chronic pain are more than necessary to deal with the situation.
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