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Can We Afford to Ignore the $600 Billion a Year Cost of Chronic Pain?
Roger B. Fillingim, PhD, president of the American Pain Society is one advocate speaking out about the problem faced by patients who suffer from chronic pain, defined as being present for 3-months or more. But he's not the only expert who is talking about finding better ways to help people in pain.
Fillingim says funding for research for better treatments is an unmet need that can no longer be ignored.
Fillingim points out chronic pain costs more than $600 billion a year for treatment and lost work time, yet grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) account for just 1 percent of research.
Roger B. Fillingim, PhD, president of the American Pain Society is one advocate speaking out about the problem faced by patients who suffer from chronic pain, defined as being present for 3-months or more. But he's not the only expert who is talking about finding better ways to help people in pain.Yet another recent finding suggests when it comes to treating uncomplicated back pain, physicians are willing to order costly imaging tests and prescribe expensive medications to patients.
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Source: Emax Health
