Revista de Tratamento e Medicina da Dor

Abstrato

The Need for Integrative Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: A Reflection on the use and Efficacy of Invasive Procedures for Chronic Pain Conditions

Wayne B. Jonas

Chronic pain is a worldwide health problem that is not addressed well by the current medical system. The conventional means and methods of addressing illness and disease are not the best for long-term chronic pain management and alleviation of symptoms. In 2020, in the United States, it was estimated that 20.4% of adults had chronic pain. The 2012 National Health Survey also found that an estimated 11.5% (25.3 million) adults had experienced pain every day for three months. The annual cost of chronic pain on society in the United States alone may be as high as $635 billion. In Europe, one in five adults is suffering from chronic pain with an estimated annual cost of 441 billion Euros. Even with estimates this high, experts agree that any approximation of the number of people living with and the economic burden of chronic pain falls short of understanding the true impact of chronic pain on society.