Chronic Pain Shows Alarming Trend, Surpasses Other Common Chronic DiseasesChronic Pain Shows Alarming Trend, Surpasses Other Common Chronic Diseases
Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Shows Alarming Trend, Surpasses Other Common Chronic Diseases

Chronic pain, defined as pain lasting three or more months, can be prevented by a consistent regimen of safe, effective, and easy-to-perform exercises.
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By Kevin Shelley
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This is part 1 in “Easy Exercises to Combat Chronic Pain”

In this series, occupational therapist Kevin Shelley focuses on common issues associated with chronic pain and simple exercises to strengthen weak muscles and enhance joint mobility, with the goal of helping you become pain-free.

Summary of Key Facts

  • A recent study found that the incidence of chronic pain in the United States has exceeded that of other chronic conditions, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure.
  • More than 50 million adults (20.5 percent) in the United States have chronic pain, including 17 million (almost 7 percent) with high-impact chronic pain.
  • Chronic pain has been linked to depression, higher suicide risk, substance abuse, and dementia.
  • Health care costs related to chronic pain exceed half a trillion dollars per year, more than the annual costs for heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.
  • Exercise can have a significant effect on reducing chronic pain caused by functional issues and muscle weakness.

Alarming Trend in Chronic Pain

Pain is a constant background noise of the human experience, and the volume is unfortunately rising.
A new study published in JAMA Network on May 16 using data from the 2019–2020 National Health Interview Survey of about 10,000 U.S. adults shows a startling trend: The prevalence of chronic pain is growing and shows no signs of slowing down.