About 20.4% of adults in the United States (50 million) have chronic pain, and 8% (19.6 million) have high-impact chronic pain, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Chronic pain, one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care, has been linked to restrictions in mobility and daily activities, dependence on opioids, anxiety and depression, and poor perceived health or reduced quality of life,” the authors wrote.
Listening to these patients with chronic pain telling us their stories is really what this is all about. The lady with sickle cell who wants to be a hematologist, the service member hit by an IED (the one closest in the picture)… It's so important to validate their concerns. pic.twitter.com/415CnLWOVM
— Sherif Zaafran, MD (@szaafran) September 26, 2018
The data, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), came from an analysis of 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. NHIS asked survey participants, “In the past six months, how often did you have pain? Would you say never, some days, most days, or every day?” and “Over the past six months, how often did pain limit your life or work activities? Would you say never, some days, most days, or every day?” Adults who reported pain on most days or every day were considered to have chronic pain, and those whose pain limited their work or life activities on most days or every day were considered to have high-impact chronic pain.
Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care.
Here is an article from the CDC about the prevalence of chronic pain and how it impacts ones quality of life.@CDCgov #LifeBeyondPainhttps://t.co/iwq8BF5D76 pic.twitter.com/wueCTsHTZb
— Dr. Joe Tatta, DPT (@DrJoeTatta) September 27, 2018
Women, older adults, previously but not currently employed adults, adults living in poverty, adults with public health insurance, and rural residents were all at an increased risk for chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain. Adults with at least a bachelor’s degree had a lower risk of chronic pain compared to those with lower levels of education.
.@BethDarnall of @StanfordPain talks about her research on evidence-based psychological treatments for chronic pain in this #HopeThroughResearch video. @Stanford #PainAwarenessMonth #PainMonth18 pic.twitter.com/wwYUCIK1BL
— NIH NCCIH (@NIH_NCCIH) September 24, 2018
Socioeconomic status was “a common factor” across subgroups, the authors noted, saying that socioeconomic factors “have been determined to be associated with both general health status and the presence of specific health conditions as well as with patients’ success in navigating the health care system.” They added: “Identifying populations at risk is necessary to inform efforts for developing and targeting quality pain services.”
The report concludes, “Chronic pain contributes to an estimated $560 billion each year in direct medical costs, lost productivity, and disability programs. … This report helps fulfill this objective and provides data to inform policymakers, clinicians, and researchers focused on pain care and prevention.”
Prevalence and profile of High Impact Chronic Pain in the United States
Goal conflict in chronic pain: day reconstruction method
Source: CDC
© 2025 Mashup Media, LLC, a Formedics Property. All Rights Reserved.