New treatments offer much-needed hope for patients suffering from chronic pain

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Rachael Rzasa Lynn, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

(THE CONVERSATION) Hundreds of millions of people around the worldexperience chronic pain – meaning pain that lasts longer than three months. While the numbers vary from country to country, most studies estimate that about 10% of the global population is affected, so more than 800 million people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2021, about 20% of U.S. adults – or more than 50 million people – were experiencing chronic pain. Of those, about 7% experienced what’s called high-impact chronic pain, which is pain that substantially limits a person’s daily activities.

In the past, physicians have been quick to prescribe medication as an easy solution. But the opioid crisis in the U.S. has led doctors to reevaluate their reliance on drugs and look at new treatments for patients with chronic pain.

The Conversation spoke with...