Study says chronic pain can be a disabling condition

A new study on chronic pain has found its effects can be as disabling as kidney failure, emphysema or stroke.

The study by the National Institutes of Health puts the spotlight on about 11 million adults nationwide who have what is considered “highimpact pain” lasting for three months or longer and limits at least one major activity.

The high-impact chronic pain population constitutes some 4.8 percent of the U.S. adult population. According to researchers, about 83 percent of people with pain at that level were unable to work and one-third had difficulty with self-care activities, including washing themselves and getting dressed.

What made the study different from others that have looked at chronic pain was how it framed its questions. Other studies had asked people suffering from chronic pain how the pain itself limited life activities over time. The new study left pain out of the equation, asking people simply how their lives were limited in general.

“It is crucial that we fully understand how people’s lives are affected by chronic pain. It will help improve care for individuals living with chronic pain and strategically guide our research programs that aim to reduce the burden of pain at the population level,” said Linda Porter Ph.D., director of the Office of Pain Policy at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, in a news release. “The findings from this study are a strong step toward these goals.”

The study used data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey to assess the prevalence, characteristics, health status and health care usage of the chronic pain population.

The study also determined the degree of contribution made by other chronic health conditions that limited activity and participation. Statistical analyses were performed on data representing about 220.3 million non-institutionalized adults.

The research, according to the NIH, ultimately highlights the role of pain-related disability as a key indicator of pain impact. Experts said the study’s findings could improve treatments and provide much-needed information to policymakers.

“The multidimensional nature of chronic pain is not reflected in commonly used ... definitions based solely on pain duration,” said Mark Pitcher, one of the authors of the study. Older studies “limit our ability to effectively address chronic pain on a national level.”

The study, published in the “Journal of Pain,” was conducted by scientists at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and NINDS, as well as the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle.