Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
Second Opinion Logo THE
SERIES		  |  THE
HOST		  |  EPISODES  |  MEDICAL
GLOSSARY		  |  RESOURCES  |  SECOND OPINION
FOR CAREGIVERS
Chronic Pain
Panelists
Quick Facts
Transcript
Ask Your Doctor
Key Point 1
Key Point 2
Key Point 3
Resources
Medical Glossary
Quick Facts

  • Over 50 million Americans experience chronic pain that interferes with daily living activities and nearly 25 million Americans xperience acute pain each year due to injuries or surgery.

  • 1 in 3 American adults lose more than 20 hours of sleep each month due to pain.

  • Lost workdays due to pain add up to over 50 million a year.

  • Chronic pain accounts for more than 80 percent of all physician visits.

  • Pain costs the nation an estimated $70 billion a year in medical claims, disability payments and lost productivity.

  • Headache and lower back pain are the most common types of pain in the U.S.
    • Over 25 million Americans suffer from migraines; 9 out of 10 Americans have non-migraine headaches each year
    • Over 26 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 64 experience frequent back pain.

  • According to the American Pain Foundation, pain is the number one complaint of older Americans and one in five older Americans regularly use painkillers.

  • Research indicates that men and women respond differently to pain.

  • The cause of chronic pain is not always evident.

  • Medical and technological advances have made pain more manageable today than ever before.

  • Only an estimated 1 in 4 of those with chronic pain receive proper treatment meaning millions of people suffer needlessly, unaware of effective pain-management options.
 
 
Support PBS WXXI West 175 Production University of Rochester Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Home | The Series | The Host | The Episodes | The Panelists | Medical Glossary | Sponsors/Partners | Contact Us
Copyright 2006 WXXI. All rights reserved | Disclaimer | PBS Privacy Policy