The online survey of 2,063 adults was conducted last month on behalf of the Samueli Foundation. About half of the participants said they were currently suffering from chronic pain.
One of the most surprising results is that young adults, 18 to 34 years old, are more likely to suffer from chronic pain than older ones (65% compared to 52% of those aged 35 and over).
“It’s surprising, but we know from other research that younger people are generally less healthy than older adults at their age, so the highest prevalence of pain may be related to that. It seems that younger generations are they face health problems that the older generations did not experience, which makes them sicker and in more pain at a younger age, ”said Wayne Jonas, MD, executive director of Integrative Health Programs at the Samueli Foundation .
“There are a number of factors that could be at stake here, and most of them can be attributed to lifestyle factors. Things like poor diet, lack of exercise, the growing pace of change and the ‘Stress and very little personal care can cause problems with a person’s health, physically, mentally and emotionally.Chronic pain is a comprehensive problem of the person with stress and social isolation that contribute to its perpetuation. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in this population to ensure that as it ages, its health does not precipitate worse. “
More than one in five young adults with chronic pain (22%) said they use cannabis and / or CBD oil for pain, and are twice as likely to do so compared to 45-year-olds. or more (11%).
“I think it’s clear that young people are looking for ways to manage their pain on their own, through self-care. And CBD and cannabis products are increasingly available and legal. People feel they need to find their own. ways to manage their pain because they may lack the care provided to them, ”said Jonas, a clinical professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and former director of the National Institute Office. of Health. of Alternative Medicine.
The survey found that most adults with chronic pain do not feel that health care providers are giving them adequate information on how to manage their pain. Nearly 80% wanted providers to take their pain more seriously and 68% wanted more information on how to treat chronic pain.
This lack of information, and no doubt the declining availability of opioids, has led to some experimentation. Two-thirds of Americans with chronic pain (66%) say they have changed their pain management since the pandemic began, such as the use of more over-the-counter painkillers and cannabis products. There is also more willingness to use non-pharmacological treatments such as exercise, healthier eating, massage, physical therapy and mindfulness or meditation to reduce stress.
About 1 in 4 Americans say that stress, anxiety and lack of sleep worsened their chronic pain during the pandemic. The vast majority of people with chronic pain (83%) say their quality of life would improve a lot if they could manage it better.
“This should be a wake-up call to doctors as their patients seek more information from them about managing their chronic pain, especially for non-pharmacological approaches.” said Jonas.
