Chronic Pain Experienced by Adults in the United States

Audiologists are trained to provide patient care related to hearing and balance issues. Patients, however, may present with other health-related issues. Some of these individuals may experience chronic pain, potentially pain that limits activity. 

Lucas and Sohi (2024) used data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey to determine the percentage of individuals in the United States who experienced chronic pain, as well as the percentage of individuals who experienced high-impact chronic pain. 

Respondents were asked the following question: “In the past three months, how often did you have pain? Would you say never, some days, most days, or every day?” If they answered either “most days” or “every day,” they were considered to have chronic pain. They were considered to have high-impact chronic pain if they answered “most days” or “every day” to having pain that limited their “life or work activities.” 

These authors reported that almost one-quarter of adults (24.3 percent) experienced chronic pain, with 8.7 percent having high-impact chronic pain. The percentage of adults with both chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain was greater for women than men and increased with age. 

The percentage of adults with chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain also varied by race and Hispanic origin and level of urbanization.

Reference

Lucas JW, Sohi I. (2024) Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in U.S. adults, 2023. NCHS Data Brief 518.