Pain all the time, at all hours. A pain that prevents or, at least limits you, from carrying out the basic activities of daily life and is also mostly suffered in silence because the sufferer cannot be complaining all day. Although there are reasons for this. This is the situation of at least nine million people in Spain, especially women. They have chronic pain, one of the main public health problems and which impacts the well-being and quality of life of the people who suffer from it, which has a negative impact on the work, social, family and personal spheres.
This is highlighted by the Barometer of chronic pain in Spain 2022, from the Grünenthal Foundation, based on more than 7,000 interviews with residents of Spain between the ages of 18 and 85.
What is the profile of the chronic pain patient (is it considered a disease)? According to the results of the study, this disease affects 25.9% of the adult population. Individuals between 55 and 75 years have the highest prevalence (30.6%), and it is the younger population (18 and 34 years) that is least affected (18.8%). The average age of the patient with chronic pain is 51.5 years.
Regarding sex, women have a greater prevalence of the disease (30.5%) compared to men (21.3%). This prevalence means that among the patients with this permanent pain women are the majority (58.7%).
Patients have had the disease for an average period of 6.8 years and the average perceived pain intensity is 6.8 points on a scale from 0 (absence of pain) to 10 (excruciating pain).
And it usually has a diagnosed origin. Lumbar pain is the most common and affects 58.1% of patients. Despite this, 27.1% do not know the cause of their illness.
The most common anatomical location of pain is in the limbs and joints, in 33.1% of patients.
This disease limits the lives of those affected in all areas. In everyday activities, patients with chronic pain present a significant lack of autonomy to carry them out. Getting up from a chair or bed is the most problematic activity, as 59.9% of patients have some difficulty, 10.7% receive help for this.
