The Pain Brain – Millions of Americans are living with chronic pain. A quiet revolution in research and treatment is finding new ways to help them heal.
By Erik Vance and others…
Even before the pandemic, about one in five Americans suffered from chronic pain.
After a year and a half filled with anxiety, grief and often sedentary behavior, that number has only increased. It is, of course, impossible to talk about chronic pain (typically defined as pain lasting longer than six months) in America without confronting another pandemic: opioid addiction.
With so few pain treatments available, many patients see their only options as continued anguish or risking a new, different sickness. In 2020 more than 93,000 people died from drug overdose, with about 70 percent caused by opioids. And opioids don’t always address the pain; only one in four chronic pain patients find enduring relief from painkillers.
Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for SEE ALSO…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve
Source: How Do We Better Treat Chronic Pain? – The New York Times
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