‘Rising pain levels drive disability surge among middle-aged, older adults’

BUFFALO, N.Y.: Chronic pain has emerged as a key factor fueling rising disability rates in the U.S., particularly among middle-aged and older adults. According to a University at Buffalo (UB) study, nearly 10 million more Americans reported pain-related disabilities from 2002 to 2018, underscoring the growing societal impact of chronic pain conditions.
Published in the Journals of Gerontology, the study analyzed 17 years of data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Functional limitations, such as difficulty lifting or climbing stairs, increased from 43% to 50%, with 40% of the rise linked to chronic pain conditions like arthritis, back and neck problems, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Key Insights
  - Chronic pain is increasingly viewed as a condition in itself, with shared biological and psychological consequences.
  - Pain-related disabilities grew by 23% over the study period, equating to an additional 9.82 million Americans.
  - Disability rates, which had previously declined, have plateaued or risen due to pain prevalence.
Lead author Hangqing Ruan, PhD, emphasized the need for comprehensive policies targeting pain management to reverse these trends. Co-author Dr. Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk added that pain is a significant yet overlooked factor in national disability trends.
The study’s findings call for expanded pain management strategies, public health initiatives, and policy reforms to address the growing challenges of aging and disability in the U.S.