As Daetigus once said "Were we to imagine ourselves suspended in timeless space, over an abyss, out of which the sounds of revolving earth rose to our ears, we would hear naught but an elemental roar of pain, uttered as with one voice by suffering mankind.
" Chronic pain is one of the most costly and significant problems facing this country today.
Tens of millions are afflicted, and pain is the most common reason Americans go to see the doctor.
Over 70 million people, including 28% of men and 26% of women, experience pain that lasts years or decades.
Over 80 million Americans report their pain affects their participation in an activity and another 50 million are partially or completely disabled.
Over 4.
5 million Americans die in pain each year.
In the US, over $70 billion per year is spent on pain, and researchers believe that one in three people in this country has pain that is chronic.
The sad truth about chronic pain is that it can overtake someone's life and turn into Chronic Pain Syndrome.
This may result in depression, anger, irritability, and constant worry.
Sleep difficulty sets in, and an overwhelming negative attitude may set in as well.
Relationship problems set in, and money problems do as well.
Memory problems set in, and self esteem plummets.
With the pain making it difficult to sleep, patients have chronic sleep deprivation with resultant frustration, anger, and irritability.
Depression and pain are closely linked in the brain.
It is well known that areas of the brain that handle pain use some of the same neurotransmitters involved in mood, including norepinephrine and serotonin.
Over 30 percent of those with pain chronic in nature also suffer from clinical depression.
Over 3/4 of those with depression also suffer from pain.
When a chronic pain sufferer concomitantly has depression, the physical pain experienced becomes that much worse.
In other words, it feeds on itself.