How Does Chronic Pain Impact Health?

Acute pain is brief, comes on suddenly, and usually has a specific cause.

Chronic pain lasts normally three months or longer, and it can stick around even after recovery. It often occurs with other chronic health conditions.

It is estimated that 1.5 billion people globally live with chronic pain. Chronic pain can—and often does—interfere with daily life, and can impact both mental and physical health.

Let's look at how different types of chronic pain affect other aspects of health including feelings of depression, ability to sleep soundly, and physical function.

Depending on the health metric, a score above or below 50 represents increased severity compared to the rest of the population.

All types of chronic pain – Physical function: 35.3 (moderate) – Pain interference: 66.4 (moderate) – Overall physical health: 35.6 (fair) – Overall mental health: 43.4 (good)

Neck, shoulder, and low back pain Those who struggle with chronic neck, shoulder, and lower back pain seem to show more intense sleep disturbance than those who deal with chronic neck and back pain.

THAT'S NOT ALL! SWIPE UP to read about how different types of chronic pain impact various areas of health.

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