BALTIMORE, June 15 (UPI) -- More than half of U.S. chronic-pain patients currently using an opioid analgesic agent felt they had little or no control over their pain, a survey found.
"These results are extremely concerning and paint a stark picture of how significant a public health issue chronic pain has become," said Will Rowe, executive director of the American Pain Foundation in Baltimore. "Although medical solutions exist to relieve or ease pain, the reality is that most pain goes untreated, undertreated or improperly treated, with millions of patients suffering in silence."
Sixty percent of those surveyed said they experience breakthrough pain one or more times daily, severely impacting their quality of life and overall well-being.
As a result of pain, 77 percent reported feeling depressed, 70 percent said they have trouble concentrating and 52 percent said their chronic pain has put a strain on relationships with family and friends. Nearly 70 percent said their pain has a great deal of impact on their work and 50 percent said they have lost a job due to their chronic pain.
Chronic pain affects approximately 50 million Americans, according to the foundation.
