References: Advancing Research For Chronic Pain Act 

Below are links to sources for key information in our one-pager on the Advancing Research For Chronic Pain Act.

• 51.6 million Americans, or 20.9% of U.S. adults, experience chronic pain, according to a 2023 CDC report. Of that number, 17.1 million experience high-impact chronic pain that interferes with the ability to function on a daily basis. – cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7215-H.pdf 

• Musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States. – apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/08/14/21/musculoskeletal-disorders%20as-a-public-health-concern#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%20alone,Americans%20older%20than%2018%20years 

• Chronic pain has been linked to depression, anxiety, substance use and misuse, and double the risk of suicide. – acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M18-0830 

• New cases of chronic pain now outpace those of diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure in the United States. – jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2804995#:~:text=Findings%20In%20this%20cohort%20study,cases%20per%2%2001000%20PY%2C%20respectivel 

• Two-thirds of military veterans report living with chronic pain. – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5337168/ 

• 78% of Medicare beneficiaries, and 89% of Medicare beneficiaries under age 65, live with chronic pain. – cms.gov/files/document/mcbs-2018-survey-file-chronic-pain-infographic.pdf 

• The most-recent estimate (from 2010) of chronic pain’s annual cost to the American economy was $560 to $635 billion. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22607834/

• In 2016, Americans spent an estimated $380 billion on back, neck, and other musculoskeletal pain. This number did not include cancer pain, neuropathy, headache and migraine, pain from serious injuries such as battlefield, industrial, and motor vehicle accidents, or other types of chronic pain. – healthdata.org/news-events/newsroom/news-releases/low-back-and-neck-pain-tops-us-health-spending 

• Learn more about the Advancing Research For Chronic Pain Act by viewing Senator Casey’s press release. – casey.senate.gov/news/releases/casey-blackburn-kaine-cramer-introduce-legislation-to-support-people-living-with-chronic-pain