Those living with chronic pain understand too well the daily struggles of trying to maintain a normal life. They are familiar with the constant hospital visits, doctor’s offices and the desperation for relief. But the cost of chronic pain is a lot more than just taxing on one’s body.
According to a study in Pain Management, the cost of patients who have chronic pain related to a past surgery can range from $2.5 million to $4.1 million per year in just one hospital.
People with post-surgical chronic pain have special needs. Often, these needs are met with specific and persistent use of opioids and transitional pain service. But it’s not just about the cost—it’s also about the resources.
The study showed that 90 per cent of those who use medical resources like pain-related visits to physicians, extended hospital stays and even hospital readmission are post-surgical patients with chronic pain. The cost of caring for those with chronic pain can be anywhere from $47 billion to $60 billion per year—more than HIV, cancer and heart disease combined.
In the study, Dr. Hance Clarke, a clinical researcher and Director of The Transitional Pain Service, says realizing and treating the pain before too much time passes is crucial. “We need to break the cycle of pain before it becomes chronic. It is much harder to treat someone when the pain is entrenched, and the window of opportunity is lost,” he said.
Part of this is recognizing when you are in pain, particularly after a surgery. Anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of patients leave with an opioid prescription and it only takes six months for post-surgical pain to develop into chronic pain.
If you have chronic pain, visit your doctor to see what options are available to you. Living with chronic pain might be difficult, but managing it can be possible.
