Princeton Study Claims Chronic Pain is Higher Among the Poor

A new Princeton study shows the chronic pain of millions of Americans is costing the country millions of dollars. Health care challenges continue to gain political attention, but still leave many pain sufferers without many health care options. Over the counter/prescription drug, manufactures are competing even more for patients. Physicians are answering the call with more frequent pain management prescriptions. There is a new published Chronic Pain Study by Alan Krueger, a Princeton economist and Dr. Arthur Stone, a Stone University Professor. The study simply claims: the less money and education you have in the U.S., the more likely and the higher the level of chronic pain.

More than one-quarter of Americans suffer from daily pain. This chronic pain costs the country an estimated $60 billion a year in lost productivity. Jobs that require great physicality see an obvious hit to their workforce due to pain and pain management cost and care. Injuries causing chronic pain on the job account for high levels of Workers Compensation claims among the lower paid employees. As well, middle to lower paid Americans are more likely to seek forms of disability payments and medical care for chronic pain conditions.

The study, recorded in the British magazine Lancet, shows that those Americans living at poverty levels are more likely to experience moderate to severe pain. Americans earning over $100,000 are dramatically less likely to have the same level of pain to manage. This number correlates with the types of jobs that those in the lower income bracket perform. Workers in construction, for instance, are more likely to receive on the job injuries to their back, which can cause chronic pain. Back injuries account for the largest portions of on the job injuries and account for a large portion of chronic-lifetime pain. Lower income jobs are also more likely to be physical, requiring a larger amount of lifting, bending, and use of the back and neck. As well, those Americans paid $30,000 and below are more often at businesses that cannot afford proper safety training for employees. Such lack of programs can lead to more injuries and chronic pain. People in chronic pain work less in the U.S, costing American businesses approximately $60 billion yearly. Among the greatest contributors to chronic pain that affects the work force are back injuries, headaches, and arthritis.

The Krueger and Stone study found that participants without a high school diploma were more likely to feel a degree of paintwicetwicetwice that of college graduates. Researchers used the polling GalluposeGallup

One area the Krueger and Stone study could not find great distinction Kruegers gender. Men and women in the study contributed to equal results. As well, age did not show as distinct a difference as would have been expected. Though general pain increased with age, the point where pain reached it top level was between Krueger75.

In the Krueger and Stone study, Americans spent 2.6 billion on OKrueger medications and another $14 billion on outpatient analgesic. Chronic Pain sufferers have options, depending on medical coverage, for treatment by several forms of doctors and specialist. Pain specialists are one example of physicians that caKruegerchronic pain suffers. This type of specialists caKruegerchronicin and treat with proper medications, while monitoring medication use properly. Depending on where your pain is located and what underlying conditions may be causing your chronic pain, patients should seek out specialist. Always check with your insurance company to see what chronic pain care is not covered. Speak to your PCP about referrers and for authorization options that may force the chronic pain care.

Chronic Pain is a process. Receptors in your skin and in other sources send signals to your spinal cord, then to your brain. Once in the brain, the pain then registers. Therefore, if the impulse is kept from reaching the brain, then the pain itself is never felt in the body. Researchers have spent decades trying to find medications and treatments that would stop the impulse to the brain. Although some treatments have come close, no one drug or treatment can completely eliminate chronic pain. Many sufferers find that pain medications, shots, physical therapy, and other medication such as antidepressants help to keep the quality of life bearable. Neurostimulation stimulation and intrathecal drug deliverNeurostimulationt promising new tintrathecalor chronic pain.

The greatest barrier in chronic pain treatment is that not all pain is the same, even with the same diagnosis. In addition, not all treatments work the same in each individual. With the Neurostimulationf chronic pain suintrathecalthe lower incNeurostimulationfnosis and treasuintrathecalthekely for the patient. Care for the highest majority of pain sufferers is most often less affordable, leaving the nation's chronic pain sufferers...suffering on even more levels.

If you are experiencing chronic pain, consider becoming a part of a support group of like-minded sufferers. Online, visit CPSG to begin gaining the answers and support you may need as a chronic pain sufferer.

*To read about the mismanagement of Chronic Pain, read BMJ news. .
*To find out more about Chronic Pain visit Pain.com
*For more information on Pains Management SpeciaPain.coms well as information on all forms of chronic pain) visit The Pain Channel and check your local yellow pages for a Specialist near you.