Oh the pain, the pain…

75 million Americans are in pain every day. So says a study published in the medical journal The Lancet. 29% of all men and 27% of all women in the U.S. suffer some sort of pain at any given time. This translates to $16 billion a year spent on pain remedies and about $60 billion a year in lost productivity for the country. Wow!

Some other interesting facts:

• poor people reported more pain than wealthier people
• less educated people reported more pain
• pain increases in intensity as people age, although it plateaus between 45-75 years old, then increases again
• $14 billion spent annually on prescription pain meds and $2.6 billion spent on over-the-counter pain medications.

Let me repeat–wow! With only 10% of the population taking advantage of chiropractic care, these numbers are truly flabbergasting. Why aren’t more people seeking out physical remedies that have been shown to work wonders? If you are a chiropractic patient and you’ve experienced the miraculous healing powers of the art, please tell your friends. No, insist they go. It seems simple to me. In light of the billions spent on drugs every year that don’t seem to be reducing the numbers of people in pain, doesn’t it make sense to try something different? something natural? something effective?

We are in a period of grave concern over health care spending. Why aren’t more doctors, insurance companies, and legislators touting the benefits of physical remedies like chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, or physical therapy? Why do the powers that be keep pushing the same old tired non-solution? I don’t know…but we can change that. Tell your friends and your loved ones about your positive experiences–they’ll listen. They’ll listen because people listen to those they trust. And you’ve seen chiropractic work wonders for you. Pass the word and help change the world. It’s that big.