- Researchers estimate that 50 million adults in the United States are dealing with chronic pain.
- They say chronic pain causes $80 billion in lost wages every year.
- They’re hopeful the latest research can lead to better treatments.
Todd Condon, 56, who lives in Ticonderoga, New York, never has a moment without acute physical pain.
The primary cause of his pain is inflammation in his bones and joints from Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Bartonella, and frozen joint syndrome.
“I was bitten by a tick in 2016. But it wasn’t until 18 months later that I received the diagnosis,” he told Healthline. “Unfortunately, it came far too late to treat effectively.”
Condon says the pain never stops.
“It’s a terrible, tearing pain,” he said. “My therapy includes art, music, and collecting famous bass players’ autographs — anything to take my mind off the symptoms.”
Tammy Searle, 55, a professional speaker and trainer from Palm Desert, California, says her chronic pain has kept her from doing many of the things she loves.
“It seems to get worse each year as I have a connective tissue disorder: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,” she told Healthline.
“I’ve tried to make the best of my life while dealing with chronic pain. The saddest part is not being able to plan in the future because I don’t know how I’ll feel that day,” she said.
Source: healthline