Men are less likely to report or experience chronic pain than women,25 and girls are more likely to report pain in multiple sites than boys. Several reviews have studied how gender (role) and sex (biological) differences are related to the way men and women experience pain.
Chronic pain was highest among women (21.7%), non-Hispanic white adults (23.6%), and those aged 65 and over (30.8%). High impact chronic pain was highest among women (8.5%) and those aged 65 and over (11.8%).
Disease can also be the underlying cause of chronic pain. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia are well-known culprits, but persistent pain may also be due to such ailments as cancer, multiple sclerosis, stomach ulcers, AIDS, and gallbladder disease.
Additionally, chronic pain sufferers struggle to get quality sleep and tend to experience fear, anxiety and depression more frequently. Research shows that the brain processes pain very differently when it is short term or long term.
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%).
Conclusions Chronic pain affects between one-third and one-half of the population of the UK, corresponding to just under 28 million adults, based on data from the best available published studies. This figure is likely to increase further in line with an ageing population.
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.
An estimated 35% to 45% of people with chronic pain experience depression. Pain can also be a common symptom among people with an anxiety disorder, particularly generalized anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).
Chronic pain is far from just aching bones and sore muscles. It's a whole-body condition that takes a toll on your emotions and moods and can lead to significant mental health issues.
Pain isn't always curable.
Medical professionals don't have all the answers, nor do they always have cures. There is no magic pill or intervention that makes chronic pain disappear. Sadly, some people with chronic pain may never be pain free again.
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.
Therefore, if your Chronic Pain has lasted for at least 12 months, or, is likely to last for at least 12 months (or the rest of your life), and substantially effects your day to day activities, it can potentially be considered as a disability.
The person in pain may not even realize the connection between their pain and a traumatic event. Approximately 15% to 35% of patients with chronic pain also have PTSD. Only 2% of people who do not have chronic pain have PTSD. One study found that 51% of patients with chronic low back pain had PTSD symptoms.
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.
In a world-first, Australian researchers have found that people with chronic pain experience physical alterations in their brain that likely leads to negative changes in their personality.
It is also common for people with chronic pain to have sleep disturbances, fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite, and mood changes. These negative changes in your lifestyle can increase your pain and dampen your overall mood; the frustration of dealing with this can result in depression and anxiety.
Chronic pain causes a number of problems that can lead to depression, such as trouble sleeping and stress. Disabling pain can cause low self-esteem due to work or financial issues or the inability to participate in social activities and hobbies. Depression doesn't just occur with pain resulting from an injury.
Everyone suffers minor aches and pains occasionally. However, it is not normal to suffer daily pain. Fortunately, there are specialists dedicated to getting to the root of your discomfort so that you can truly heal rather than mask the pain.
The Numerical Rating Pain Scale is a simple pain scale that grades pain levels from 0 (No pain), 1,2, and 3 (Mild), 4,5, and 6 (Moderate), 7,8, and 9 (Severe) to 10 (Worst Pain Possible).
The findings are stark
Around 15.5 million people in England (34% of the population) have chronic pain. Approximately 5.5 million people (12% of the population) have high-impact chronic pain and struggle to take part in daily activities.
“We looked at the data from every available perspective including age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and income, but the results were always the same: There was an increase in pain no matter how we classified the population,” says Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk, associate professor of sociology in the University at ...
Chronic or persistent pain is pain that carries on for longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment. Most people get back to normal after pain following an injury or operation. But sometimes the pain carries on for longer or comes on without any history of an injury or operation.
DWP: People with back or joint pain can claim up to £691 a month in PIP or ADP. More than a million people across the United Kingdom currently claim support for 87 different musculoskeletal conditions.