Pain is a signal from your body telling you that something is wrong. Chronic pain, in many cases, persists no matter what you do. It’s a problem that affects 20.4% of the adult population, whereas 36.4% of this subset of people suffer from high-impact chronic pain. Chronic pain can significantly affect the life and work activities of the people experiencing it.
It can also decrease a person’s quality of life, and in some cases, increase opioid dependency. Chronic pain can also lead to mental health deterioration, which makes it an issue that you can’t ignore.
This post will discuss some eye-opening facts about chronic pain that everyone should know. Let’s take a look:
1. Chronic Pain Is More Common in Women Than in Men
According to the CDC, women are more likely to suffer from chronic pain (21.7%) as compared to men (19%). The same goes for high-impact chronic pain, which affects 8.5% of women and only 6.3% of men.
There’s no denying that, overall, women feel more pain than men over the course of their life span. This is mainly due to conditions and experiences such as menstruation, childbirth, and migraine headaches. For instance, migraine affects 18% of all women and only 7% of all men.
2. Chronic Pain Is Not Just Physical, Because It Can Have Emotional Repercussions
Chronic pain affects patients both physically and psychologically, which can lead to emotional issues such as fatigue, frustration, and anger. Chronic pain and stress can be a vicious cycle, as pain increases stress levels, and increased stress levels make the pain worse. It can also cause sleeping disorders since sleeping is difficult when someone is in constant pain.
This dangerous condition is also associated with depression, loss of concentration, and other emotional and mental issues.
3. Back Pain Is the Most Common Type of Chronic Pain
According to a study, as many as 84% of U.S. adults go through or will go through chronic back pain at least once in their life. After back pain, headaches are the second most common type of chronic pain, followed by joint pain and chronic nerve pain.
4. Weather Affects Your Chronic Pain Condition
It may sound like an old wives’ tale, but weather can actually affect your chronic pain. If you feel your pain is aggravated when it’s raining or cold, don’t worry; while it’s not just your imagination, the increased pain is not due to worsening disease. Changes in air pressure can also increase joint pain, especially in people with arthritis.
Treat Your Chronic Pain at Houston Physicians’ Hospital
If you’re looking for treatment for your chronic pain, our team of physicians, specialists, and surgeons can help. We use state-of-the-art technology and innovative procedures to maximize our medical expertise in treating chronic pain.
Whether you’ve been experiencing chronic pain for a while or have recently noticed pangs of persistent pain, our team will provide an accurate diagnosis and customize a treatment plan to address your specific condition.
Our pain management doctors serve patients across southeast Texas, including South Houston, Clear Lake, Webster, League City, and Galveston. Patients can find a doctor who’s right for them on our website and book an appointment directly with his or her office.