Skip to content
7 Pain Stats You Should Know

1. 58.9% of adults in the U.S. aged 18 and over experience pain

58.9% of adults in the U.S. aged 18 and over experience some sort of pain according to the National Health Interview Survey. That’s nearly 3 in 5 adults experiencing pain.

2. 20% of Adults in the U.S. (50.2 million people) suffer from chronic pain

More than 20 percent of adults in the U.S. (50.2 million people) suffer from chronic pain according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

3. Migraines affect 15% of the population

That’s 1 billion people worldwide.  On top of that, approximately 85% of all migraine sufferers are women.

4. Between 30-40% of U.S. Adults experience Back & limb pain

According to the National Health Interview Survey, in 2019 39.0% of adults had back pain, 36.5% had lower limb pain, and 30.7% had upper limb pain in the past 3 months.   Women (40.6%) were more likely to experience back pain than men (37.2%).

5. Americans spend $560 - $635 billion on the diagnosis and management of chronic pain

Each year, Americans spend between $560 – $635 billion on the diagnosis and management of chronic pain. The incidents of chronic pain are so great that they affect more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined.

6. 142,816,781 opioid prescriptions were dispensed to patients in the U.S. in 2020

142.8 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed to patients in the U.S. in 2020.  That’s a dispensing rate of 43.3 per 100 persons.

7. 1 in 3 Adults in the U.S. take over-the-Counter pain medication Daily

Of those polled, the average respondent spends three days a week feeling limited by pain. Almost half (49%) say their pain affects them at work, and two in five note it impacts their ability to do social activities.

There is a way to help manage your pain without the use of opioids and prescription pain killers, which merely mask pain and do not address the root cause of it.

No matter what your pain is, Relief can help!

This information is intended to inform you about the energetic and healing aspects of Chinese Medicine. It is our intention to educate people who are open-minded about natural alternatives to healing pain. The information is to be used at your own discretion. It is best to find a doctor specializing in Chinese Medicine for acute conditions to supervise your treatments. This content does not replace the advice of a medical professional. Consult your physician before making any changes to your regular health plan.

Ready for More?