Summary: Yes. Reports of chronic pain among US adults rose 10% over the last sixteen years. That is a statistically significant increase. It showed up in young and older adults and across backgrounds. And it comes just as doctors are pushed to cut opioid doses or stop opioids entirely.
Doctors are under more pressure to lower opioid doses or stop opioids. Some experts worry this is the wrong time to do it. A new study suggests that chronic pain has become more common in many groups. That includes young and older adults and people of different backgrounds. In the last sixteen years, reports of chronic pain went up by 10%. That is a statistically significant increase.
Doctors are under huge pressure not to prescribe opioids. Regulators and pharmacies check every prescription. Some are even reported to the DEA. So more and more doctors hold back.
But most people miss one fact. The growing need for these drugs comes from more chronic pain. So when we talk about opioid abuse or overdose as a nation, we must also count the pain relief these drugs give. Drugs like opioids change lives. In many cases, they are the only drugs that beat the pain.
Now a new study has a startling finding. Chronic pain has become much more common over the last two decades.
Studies suggest that more than half of Americans will have pain that needs treatment during the year. About 20% of people live with chronic pain. About 8-9% live with severe chronic pain that may respond to opioids. These numbers are already huge. It is alarming that they keep rising each year.
As the researchers noted, people assume chronic pain must be falling as medicine gets better. But medicine has made people live longer. It still cannot treat many conditions well. So while many people with serious illness gain from medical progress, others must live with constant pain.
The researchers were surprised that chronic pain has grown over the years. So they looked at the data in many ways. They checked age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, income, and more. To their surprise, chronic pain rose in every population group1.
For the study, researchers looked at answers from 441,000 people in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2002 to 2018. They paid special attention to young adults. To their surprise, chronic pain is rising even in young adults. They studied reports of migraine, jaw pain, cluster headaches, and joint and low back pain.
The study found an average 10% rise in chronic pain in the last 16 years. This was true for almost every pain site. That is a significant increase.
The rise was larger in older adults. That is no surprise. Many of them carry a higher BMI, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, and diabetes. That makes chronic pain more likely. Adults aged 65 to 84 years are especially at risk.
Money and social status matter too. Chronic pain is more common in poorer groups. Still, the study found that chronic pain rose in every group.
The findings are worrying. Chronic pain rose in Americans of every age group, health condition, and background.
Some questions remain. It is not clear if Americans truly feel more pain or report more pain in hope of an opioid prescription. Still, it does appear that some people might report pain just to get opioids. It is more likely that people are simply more aware now. They know opioids can help, so they are more likely to seek treatment.
The researchers say they are not pushing for more opioid use. They know opioids may also have added to the rise in reported pain. Still, these findings cannot be ignored.
Frequently asked questions
Is chronic pain increasing in the US?
Yes. Researchers analyzed National Health Interview Survey answers from 441,000 people between 2002 and 2018. Reports of chronic pain rose by an average of 10% over those sixteen years. That is a statistically significant increase. The rise showed up at nearly every pain site studied. That includes migraine, jaw pain, cluster headaches, joint pain and low back pain.
How many Americans live with chronic pain?
About 20% of the US population lives with chronic pain. About 8-9% live with severe chronic pain. More than half of Americans will have pain that needs treatment in a given year. Those numbers were already large. The survey data show they keep climbing across age groups and backgrounds.
Who is most likely to have chronic pain?
Older adults saw the biggest increase, especially people aged 65 to 84. Many carry a higher BMI, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure or diabetes. Each makes chronic pain more likely. Chronic pain is also more common in poorer groups. Still, the study found pain rising in every group it measured, young adults included.
Why is chronic pain becoming more common?
Medicine has helped people live longer. But it still cannot treat many conditions well, so more people live for years with constant pain. Many older adults also carry metabolic disorders, high blood pressure and diabetes. These make chronic pain more likely. People are also more aware of pain and of the treatments out there. So they are more likely to report it and seek care.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
