New Analysis Finds Increases in Non-Cancer Pain Prevalence and Opioid Use for Non-Cancer Pain Management Among U.S. Adults, Despite Decreases in Pain-Related Health Care Visits

Between combined years 1997/1998 and 2013/2014, the number of U.S. adults experiencing non-cancer pain increased by 25 percent, and yet during this same period there was a decrease in visits to health care providers for pain, a small decrease in prescription pain medications overall, but a large increase in the use of opioids, especially strong opioids. Individuals from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Social & Scientific Systems, and Yale University School of Medicine, Yale Center for Medical Informatics analyzed data from a national survey. The analysis was published in The Journal of Pain.