Coping with pain quite a struggle for half of the U.S.A.

May 11 2005

At least 50 precent of the U.S. population are struggling to cope either with the aggravation of intermittent pain or with the misery of chronic pain which is difficult to treat. This results in less work, crankier moods and fewer activities, combined with a wide-ranging search for pain relief.

Most people it appears can identify where they hurt, but are often unable to link that pain to a specific cause.

Researchers carrying out a recent nationwide survey on what works for pain relief, found to their surprise, that just as many people cite prayers as prescription drugs.

The survey was sponsored by Stanford University Medical Center, ABC News and USA Today. Pollsters queried 1,204 adults by phone, April 13-19, 2005. The results have a three-point error margin. The survey resulted in some significant findings.

Back pain was by far the most common issue and knees and shoulders were also a problem. About one-quarter of all respondents cited back pain as their most recent difficulty, and another quarter cited joint pain. Nearly one-tenth said they suffered from headaches.

As many as 50% were able to identify a specific medical condition or injury behind their most recent painful experience, but just as many could not. Among those who could, injury or accident was the most common culprit, followed by arthritis.

About four in 10 people cited interference with each of these quality-of-life indicators: work and other duties, mood, day-to-day activities, sleep and enjoyment of life. Many had, out of desperation, tried everything from over-the-counter drugs to alcohol, but when it came to effectiveness, prayer and prescription drugs come out on top.

Raymond Gaeta, MD, associate professor of anaesthesia at the Stanford School of Medicine and director of pain management services at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, says pain has been a hidden disease, receiving far less attention than other diseases, but there is a growing recognition that pain really is not just the sensation we have but something that interferes with every one of us and with life.

The experience of pain in America has been carefully documented in the new survey, Gary Langer, director of polling for ABC News says it is very unusual to have an independent, rigorous, national random-sample survey on the subject of pain. The survey he says, puts the issue of pain out before a broader public, and underscores the serious public health problem that exists regarding pain in the U.S.A.

The researchers found that the incidence of pain is significant. About 60 percent of respondents said their most recent pain episode had occurred within just the last month, and about 40 percent said pain plagues them often.

Most people, about 80%, when in physical distress sets in, go for over-the-counter drugs and home remedies. Prescription drugs, bed rest and prayer constitute second-string remedies and about six in 10 respondents have tried those.

But it appears that good pain relief is hard to come by. Prayer and prescription drugs ranked top with respondents but only about 50 percent of those who tried these methods said they worked "very well." Another 40 percent said they worked "somewhat well." Chiropractic and massage therapy ranked second-best, forty percent of the people who tried these said they worked very well.

A possible explanation for the popularity of prayer as pain relief could be that prayer falls in the category of having patients learn about the meaning of their pain, and patients sometimes need to be introspective before progressing, says Gaeta. It was noted however that those who used prayer were likely to rely as well on other pain treatments.

The regular use of new drugs were enabling many people to cope, and of those who had tried over-the-counter-drugs for pain relief, 10 percent use them daily, among those who had tried prescription drugs, about 20 percent took them daily. In other words, more than 10 percent of all adults in America rely on prescription painkillers every day.

Gaeta says that more people are talking to their doctors which is good news. At least six in 10 survey participants said they consulted a doctor or other health-care worker about their most recent pain episode, and more than half had found some relief.

Now, with growing numbers of pain specialists and better-educated patients and physicians, Gaeta says he's hopeful that numbers will rise. "All the surveys and information coming out now are saying pain impacts not only the patients' livelihood but also, in ever-widening circles, family, work and even society in general". Gaeta says he is hoping for not only the clinical care to improve, but for the science to catch up and for some dramatic breakthroughs in pain treatment to be made.

Poll results and analysis are available at abcnews.com.