There are several things Americans disagree on, but many people in the US can agree that they suffer from chronic pain. Over 50% of adults in the US have pain, most often in the legs and back, according to the US Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Researchers found that almost 59% of American men and women had ongoing pain. This pain often leads people to have to miss work, and some people are injured while on the job. If you live in Minnesota and are dealing with chronic pain, here are a few things you should know about workers’ comp.
Dealing with ongoing pain
Dr. Yili Huang, director of the Pain Management Center for Northwell Health’s Phelps Hospital shares that pain is one of the ailments patients complain about the most in the doctor’s office. Pain serves as a warning sign to the body that something isn’t right. Individuals who are experiencing pain should visit the doctor as soon as possible so the physician can assess and diagnose the cause of the pain. When this happens, the patient may be able to focus on healing by applying for workers’ comp.
Based on 2019 data from the National Health Interview Survey, researchers revealed that 39% of adults suffered from back pain, 37% experienced hip, knee, or foot pain, and about one-third of survey participants sustained arm, hand, and shoulder pain in the previous three months. These aches and pains have led many individuals to see workers’ comp if their pain was caused by a work injury.
Understanding pain
Author and health statistician/epidemiologist Jacqueline Lucas says that learning about the effects of pain on the body is important in understanding how pain affects adults in the US. July 2021 report published in an NCHS Data Brief revealed that the chances of experiencing pain were connected to age and economics, which may indicate that individuals who experience pain could be entitled to workers’ comp.
