Print Share

Resources

Chronic Pain In America: Roadblocks To Relief

Summary of Findings

Role of the Medical Profession

ALMOST 40% OF CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY GOING TO A DOCTOR FOR RELIEF OF THEIR PAIN; HOWEVER, THE MORE SEVERE THEIR PAIN, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS BEING TREATED BY A DOCTOR - 72% VERSUS 51% OF MODERATE PAIN SUFFERERS.

"Have you ever gone to a doctor for treatment of your pain?" (Q.5a) "Are you currently going to a doctor for treatment of your pain?" (Q. 5b) "What is the specialty of the doctor who is currently treating your pain?" (Q. 5c)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Ever gone to a doctor for treatment of your pain 94 92 92 98
Currently going to a doctor for treatment of your pain 61 51 62 72
Specialty of their doctor:
Family Practice/Internal medicine 51 57 46 49
Orthopedic surgeon 15 13 15 17
Rheumatology 10 8 13 10
Neurology 8 5 7 10
Chiropractor 5 8 7 1
Other 10 9 11 11
Don't know 1 0 1 2


CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SEVERE PAIN, HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PAST YEAR OCCURENCES THAT REQUIRED EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, HOSPITALIZATION OR COUNSELING FOR RELIEF OF THEIR PAIN.

"In the past 12 months, how many times, if any, have you (action) for your pain?" (Q, 7)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers ever going to a doctor for relief of their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Gone to a physician for their pain
In past 12 months 80% 76% 77% 87%
Mean number of times 6.7 6.0 7.1 7.2
Gone to an ER for their pain
In past 12 months 14% 11% 13% 19%
Been hospitalized for their pain
In past 12 months 11% 9% 13% 13%
Had psychological counseling/therapy for their pain
In past 12 months 15% 8% 14% 22%


40% OF CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS WHO EVER WENT TO A DOCTOR DID SO WITHIN ONE MONTH AFTER THEIR PAIN BEGAN; STILL, AT LEAST ONE FOURTH WAIT AT LEAST 6 MONTHS AFTER THEIR PAIN BEGINS BEFORE GOING TO A DOCTOR.

"Again thinking back to when your pain first started, about how long did you wait before going to a doctor for treatment?" (Q. 6a)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers ever going to a doctor for relief of their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Less than 3 months 55 52 56 59
Less than one month 40 38 36 46
1 or 2 months 15 13 20 13
3 to 5 months 14 15 13 14
6 to 12 months 9 10 12 6
Over one year 18 21 17 17
Don't know 3 3 2 3


CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS DELAY GOING TO A DOCTOR FOR RELIEF PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY UNDER-ESTIMATE THE PROBLEM AND THINK THEY CAN SEE IT THROUGH.

"Why didn't you go to a doctor sooner?" (Q. 6b)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers waiting for more than 3 months before going to a doctor for relief of their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Hoped/thought pain would go away 27 28 25 28
Pain wasn't serious/bad enough 12 17 7 10
Tried self treatment 14 14 14 13
Cost considerations 11 8 16 13
Thought it was something else 10 9 16 8
Too busy, time consuming 9 6 8 12
Have high tolerance for pain 7 8 7 7


ALMOST ONE HALF OF ALL CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS WHO HAVE EVER GONE TO A DOCTOR FOR RELIEF OF THEIR PAIN, HAVE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO CHANGE DOCTORS IN THEIR SEARCH FOR RELIEF; ALMOST ONE FOURTH HAVE CHANGED DOCTORS AT LEAST 3 TIMES FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE MORE SEVERE THEIR PAIN, THE MORE LIKELY THEY HAVE CHANGED DOCTORS AND TO HAVE DONE SO MORE OFTEN.

"Since your pain first began, about how many times, if any, have you changed doctors to find relief of your pain?" (Q. 5d)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers ever going to a doctor for relief of their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Have changed doctors to find relief 47 38 49 56
Once 11 10 9 12
Twice 13 11 16 13
3 times and more 22 15 24 29
Don't know 1 2 0 2


THE PRIMARY REASONS FOR CHANGING DOCTORS RELATE FOR THE MOST PART TO HOW CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS PERCEIVE THE DOCTOR'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THEIR PAIN AND THE DOCTOR'S KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PAIN AND ABILITY TO TREAT PAIN.

"What were your reasons for changing doctors?" (Q. 5e)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers changing doctors to find relief for their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Still had too much pain 42 33 45 48
Didn't feel doctor knew a lot about pain treatment 31 24 37 32
Doctor didn't take pain seriously enough 29 25 29 32
Unwilling to treat pain aggressively 27 23 28 29
Doctor didn't listen 22 18 23 25
Too far to travel 16 17 14 16
Sufferer moved away 14 12 16 14
HMO/Insurance plan required it 14 13 8 16
Doctor made a referral/2nd opinion, needed specialist 14 13 9 17
Doctor retired from active practice, died, moved away 16 16 18 14


CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS WHO HAVE NEVER GONE TO A DOCTOR FOR PAIN RELIEF OR ARE NOT CURRENTLY GOING TO ONE BELIEVE EITHER THERE IS NOTHING DOCTORS CAN DO TO HELP, THE PAIN IS UNDER CONTROL OR THAT THEY THEMSELVES CAN EITHER TREAT IT OR JUST LIVE WITH IT. COST IS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER AMONG THOSE WITH SEVERE OR VERY SEVERE PAIN.

"What are your reasons for no longer/never going to a doctor for relief of your pain?" (Q. 8)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers never or not currently going to a doctor to find relief for their pain.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Nothing they can do/no help 24 21 24 29
Treatment helped, taking medicine 15 17 13 12
Pain lessened, controlled, went away 14 17 13 9
Use OTC/self treatment 14 17 10 11
Cost, inadequate/no insurance 14 9 21 18
Unfavorable reaction to doctor/treatment 12 9 8 15
Learned to cope, live with it 11 10 16 11


22% OF CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS HAVE ASKED THEIR DOCTOR FOR A MEDICINE THEY SAW OR HEARD ABOUT TO RELIEVE THEIR PAIN AND IN THE MAJORITY OF INSTANCES DOCTORS PRESCRIBE THE MEDICINE; ONLY 5% OF ALL SUFFERERS HAVE ASKED FOR SUCH A MEDICINE AND THEIR DOCTOR REFUSED TO PRESCRIBE IT.

"Have you ever asked a doctor for a specific medicine you saw or heard about?" (Q. 15a) "Did the doctor prescribe it or did he/she refuse to prescribe it for your pain?" (Q. 15b)

Base: All chronic pain sufferers.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Asked doctor for a medicine seen/heard about 22 16 24 29
Prescribed it 15 11 18 18
Refused to prescribe it 5 4 4 8
Never asked 77 82 76 71


22% OF CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO A SPECIALIZED TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR THEIR PAIN; ONLY 3% OF ALL CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS WERE DENIED ACCESS BY A MANAGED CARE GATEKEEPER OR WORKMAN'S COMP PROGRAM AFTER SUCH A REFERRAL.

"Have you ever been referred to a specialized program or clinic for your pain that offered a team of health care professionals specializing in different areas of pain management?" (Q. 16a) "Were you ever denied access to all or part of this specialized treatment program by a managed care gatekeeper or workman's comp program?" (Q. 16b)

Base:0 All chronic pain sufferers.

  ---Severity of Pain Now---
  Total % Moderate % Severe % Very Severe %
Referred to program/clinic 22 16 19 32
Denied access all/part 3 2 1 5
Never referred 78 84 81 68


On to: Perceptions and Use of Medicine Types

Table of Contents