A new survey sheds light on the many ways that acute pain can disrupt daily life.
Although pain is one of the most common reasons that people visit the doctor, managing it can be complicated.
So, what’s a patient—or a doctor – to do? Here to talk about the unmet need in treating acute pain is Dr. David Dalury, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery (Emeritus) at the University of Maryland.
The results show how patients’ lives are affected by acute pain:
70% say it limits them from walking and exercising.
69% says it limits their sleep.
65% says it affects their hobbies and leisure activities.
65% say it made them feel irritable or emotionally drained.
Patients reported missing an average of 19 working days annually.
Pain is one of the most common reasons that people visit the doctor; however, treatment options for the various types and causes of pain remain limited.i,ii,iii
Approximately 40 million Americans with acute pain are prescribed an opioid to manage their discomfort each year.vii Although opioids can be effective, they also carry a labeled risk of addiction.viii In fact, roughly 85,000 U.S. adults are expected to develop opioid use disorder (OUD) within a year of their prescribed treatment of acute pain.vii
Health care providers may prescribe either acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as alternatives for milder pain or additions to opioids for severe acute pain; while these treatments are generally well tolerated, they may have limited effectiveness, particularly for moderate-to-severe acute pain.viii,ix
The survey also shows that:
77% of patients say they are interested in trying a different pain medication if they experience acute pain again.
52% say they are seeking a new pain medication with fewer side effects than their last medication.
31% say they stopped taking their medication before their pain was resolved.
Dr. David Dalury Professor of Orthopedic Surgery (Emeritus) at the University of Maryland will be available to discuss the survey results and help raise awareness about the unmet need in current pain management options and offer solutions.
Tell me about the State of Pain survey. What did it evaluate?
Can you tell us some of the key findings? What did you learn?
Why is it important to focus on pain management right now?
Where can people learn more about the State of Pain survey?
Interview is courtesy: Vertex Pharmaceuticals
#drdaviddalury #vertexpharmaceuticals #pain #orthopedicsurgery
