Everyone has their own relationship with pain. Some deal with stiffness and aching once or twice per week, while others find their life practically revolving around a bad knee. Wherever you stand, trust there is an orthopedic doctor or neurologist available to help.
Americans today are dealing with some of the highest incidents of wrist pain and knee pain yet seen in history. Contributing factors such as poor lifestyle habits, workplace injuries and genetic predispositions all lead to millions of adults struggling to get through the day at all. Healthcare professionals are doing their best to not just spread awareness about pain prevention, but provide resources to people who just want a little relief when they lay down at night. Whether you’ve been experiencing the recent onset of lower back pain or have struggled with hip pain for years, the list below will catch you up on your options for a better tomorrow.
The Definition Of Ongoing Pain
Mobility issues are infuriating. They impact your day-to-day life in ways you previously took for granted, affecting your ability to eat, walk and even sleep. Healthcare professionals state any minor to severe pain that erupts multiple times per week and lasts for longer than three months should be checked. Over two billion people in the world struggle with day-to-day pain at any time, making this one of the most widespread healthcare concerns as we know it. Knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain are some of the most common forms this condition takes.
Upper Back Pain
Do you find yourself constantly rolling and stretching your shoulders? Does your neck feel stiff no matter how well you sleep at night? It’s possible you have chronic upper back pain, a condition affecting many an American adult to the point of even seeming mundane. A study was recently released analyzing just how widespread this problem is. Experts estimated as much as 80% of the population will experience some form of back pain throughout their lives. While back pain is caused by a variety of sources, the most common include poor posture, bad mattresses and age.
Lower Back Pain
The only condition more common than upper back pain is lower back pain. Healthcare professionals are constantly treating Americans struggling to sit up straight, walk up stairs and carry heavy loads due to excess stress and stiffness. Despite this, nearly 40% of Americans with chronic lower back pain still don’t seek professional help. Lower back pain can be caused or exacerbated by poor lifting habits, such as picking up a heavy box with your arms instead of using your legs. It can also be caused by more subtle habits, such as hunching while typing or carrying heavy backpacks on a regular basis.
Knee Pain
You may need to see an orthopedic doctor depending on the origin of your knee pain. Ligaments can be torn, tendons can be bruised and bones can be cracked, leaving you struggling to walk smoothly or go on your morning jog. This can also lead to hip pain when left unchecked, creating a domino effect that only makes your chronic pain worse. According to studies provided by the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (also known as the CDC) hip pain affects as much as 8% of American adults at any given time. Age is a major contributing factor to worsening knee and hip pain.
Wrist Pain
Last, but unfortunately not least, we have wrist pain. Widely considered one of the most difficult forms of chronic pain to treat due to the subtle and complex network of bones and ligaments in the wrist, it’s estimated over 50 million Americans are living with arthritis as we know it. Stiffness, burning and mobility issues erupting while you draw, write or type are common signs you’re developing a wrist issue. Thankfully, an orthopedic doctor or therapist can help restore your ability to move like you used to. By the time 2022 arrives physical therapists will face an employment growth of 35% or more.
Make this year the one where you decide to contact an orthopedic doctor and live a better quality of life now rather than later.