Physical pain often peaks during your working years, not in old age
A large new study has also found that people’s pain levels varied according to their income, geography, conditions like obesity, and habits like smoking
Research from the Global Burden of Diseases study reveals a striking fact: physical pain tends to reach its peak during working years rather than in old age. Despite its significance as a leading cause of disability worldwide, pain remains an overlooked parameter within the study's extensive range of health metrics. Dr. Matthew Fillingim, a researcher at McGill University in Canada, explains that pain cannot be measured objectively through medical biomarkers. Instead, the study relies on individuals' self-reported subjective experiences of pain.
To uncover this insight, Dr. Fillingim and a team of 98 researchers from 63 institutions across the globe analyzed data from 6.1 million individuals, spanning 118 countries and encompassing ages from 5 to 100 years. This comprehensive study was conducted between 1995 and 2005, and its findings were recently published in Nature Medicine.
The researchers' work underscores the critical need for more attention to be given to pain as a public health concern. While the study does not delve into specific causes of pain, it does highlight a troubling disparity in how pain is treated and understood across different stages of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 20% of the global population lives with chronic pain, making it a substantial burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems alike.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
