Chronic pain was 1.8 times as high for women aged 85 and over (28%) as women aged 45–54 (16%). Among men, chronic pain was 1.3 times as high in those aged 85 and over (18%) as in those aged 45–54 (13%) (Figure 1). Overall, women had higher rates of chronic pain (21%) than men (17%).
Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain both increased with age and were highest among adults aged 65 and over. Non-Hispanic white adults (23.6%) were more likely to have chronic pain compared with non-Hispanic black (19.3%), Hispanic (13.0%), and non-Hispanic Asian (6.8%) adults.
The prevalence of chronic pain is higher in those with other chronic diseases than in those without. For example, up to a third of people with coronary heart disease also have chronic pain, and a similar percentage of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have chronic pain.
Chronic pain is common in Australia. One in 5 Australians aged 45 and over are living with persistent, ongoing pain. This pain can be disabling and stressful, making it hard for a person to work and do the things they enjoy. More people are seeing their general practitioner (GP) for chronic pain.
Chronic pain induces a multitude of harmful effects; recently it has been suggested that chronic pain is also associated with premature aging, manifested in shortened telomere length (TL).
It can affect your ability to function at home and work. You may find it difficult to participate in social activities and hobbies, which could lead to decreased self-esteem. It is also common for people with chronic pain to have sleep disturbances, fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite, and mood changes.
Total life expectancy varies only slightly by baseline pain states but pain-free life expectancy varies greatly. For example, an 85-year-old female pain-free at baseline expects 7.04 more years, 5.28 being pain-free. An 85-year-old female with severe pain at baseline expects 6.42 years with only 2.66 pain-free.
Though aging may increase chronic pain, proper treatment allows older adults to continue living active, fulfilling lives.
Chronic pain is common in Australia. One in 5 Australians aged 45 and over are living with persistent, ongoing pain. This pain can be disabling and stressful, making it hard for a person to work and do the things they enjoy.
Is CRPS a disability in Australia? Yes! CRPS is a disability that affects thousands of Australians and up to 1 in 20 adults. From National Prescribing Service (NPS) Medicine Wise, chronic / complex regional pain syndrome accounts for approximately 2–5% of adults and up to 20% of paediatric pain clinic patients.
It may have started from an illness or injury, from which you may have long since recovered from, but pain remained. Or there may be an ongoing cause of pain, such as arthritis or cancer. Many people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of illness.
Typically, pain is considered chronic when it persists for six months or more. But for some patients, chronic pain can last for years or even a lifetime.
What are the symptoms of chronic pain? Common symptoms of chronic pain include mild to very bad pain that does not go away as expected after an illness or injury. It may be shooting, burning, aching, or electrical. You may also feel sore, tight, or stiff in the affected area.
Regardless of its source, chronic pain can disrupt nearly all aspects of someone's life – beyond physical pain, it can impede their ability to work and participate in social and other activities like they used to, impact their relationships and cause feelings of isolation, frustration and anxiety.
Research published last month in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that more than 51 million people – more than 20% of US adults – have chronic pain and 17 million – almost 7% of adults – have high-impact chronic pain.
Chronic pain will eventually progress to adjacent joints
As this goes on, cells start to die leading to arthritis or tears.
Because of the complex relationship between the brain, the nervous system and the body's hormones, chronic pain requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. It's not like having infection, where you take antibiotics and it's gone. Chronic pain is complex and there isn't one treatment or one pill that will cure it.
Chronic pain can often sap all the joy out of your life. It doesn't have to stay that way though! Once you get a handle on your chronic pain and figure out how to manage your symptoms, you can start to find joy in your life again!. Finding joy can be anything that makes you happy!
The Pain – Fatigue Cycle
When you live with chronic pain, you are exhausted before you even start your day. In addition, pain makes it hard to sleep and you wake up with increased pain. Poor sleep causes an increase in inflammation that makes your pain worse and then fatigue follows.
Stress: People with chronic pain are exposed to more cortisol, a stress hormone, than others. This excess of cortisol exposure can affect the body negatively and lead to diabetes, cancer and heart problems.