AMERICAN PAIN INSTITUTE,
ARKANSAS CHAPTER
A survey of pain in
America, conducted by Partners Against Pain (an educational program providing
information, tools, and services for patients and professionals), found that
almost half of American households (44 million or 43%) have at least one family
member who suffers from chronic pain due to a specific illness or medical
condition. The survey revealed that for
one third of these sufferers, their chronic pain is so severe and debilitating,
they feel they can’t function as normal people and sometimes feel so bad that
they want to die.
According to the
National Institute of Health, pain costs Americans more than $100 billion each
year in health care costs and lost productivity.
Most patients are
inadequately treated. When inadequately
treated, pain can lead to depression, loss of function, increased time to heal,
and lost workdays. Some 40% of sufferers
are uncomfortable discussing their pain.
37% say it can be isolating, leaving them feeling alone. 1/3 of those
surveyed do not believe people understand how much pain they are in and 1/4 say
their family is tired of hearing about their pain, do not understand how it
affects them and feel inadequate as a spouse/partner because of it. 56% of patients suffering from severe pain
feel that their pain interferes with sleeping. They also report that pain affects their overall mood (51%),
ability to drive (30%), to have sexual relations (28%), and to feed themselves
(7%).
Many specific
illnesses or medical conditions can cause pain. Among the surveyed individuals, 48% experienced pain related to
musculosketetal problems, which include back pain, as well as pain in the
knees, neck, shoulder/arm, ankle/foot, joints, bones, hips and bursitis; and
other sources, such as arthritis (28%), headaches (16%), nerve problems (10%),
surgical/post-operative (4%), and traumatic injury (2%).
Partners Against
Pain is working to identify the scope of pain management, including access and
barriers to treatment within the United States. This educational program is sponsored by Purdue Pharma L.P. and
is dedicated to empowering patients with chronic pain and works to break down
the barriers between patient and doctor and correct prejudices and
preconceptions about sustainable pain therapies.