NATIONAL PAIN MONTH BRINGS AWARENESS TO MORE THAN 100 MILLION AMERICANS WHO SUFFER FROM PAIN Costs are Staggering, but Easy Prevention and Treatment Options are Available LAKE FOREST, Ill. (September 19, 2013) –It affects more Americans than diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease combined. It can result in extremely long and costly hospital stays and a decreased ability in daily functioning. And it impacts more than 100 million people in the United States every year. Acute and chronic pain is a sad fact of life for almost one-third of the population. With September designated as National Pain Awareness Month, it is important to examine the costs, causes and possible ways to prevent acute and chronic pain. A June 2011 report on pain by the federal Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (I.O.M.) revealed that the cost of chronic pain – both in treatment and lost productivity – may be as high as $635 billion per year. The human cost of pain is just as staggering: A recent survey by Repass Partners showed that 80 percent of people have pain several days or more a week, while 85 percent have more than two areas that are causing them pain (with back pain always cited). Only 27 percent sought professional help. (1) According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 1 in 4 Americans has suffered from pain that lasts longer than 24 hours. (2) ClinicalResearch.com reported that 1 in 3 adults have trouble living independently due to pain. (3) Age-related arthritis and low back problems are big culprits, accounting for up to 60 percent of chronic...
