Xiulu Ruan and Srinivas Chiravuri
The Predicament of the Undertreatment of Chronic Pain and Prescription Opioid Epidemic
Chronic pain is pervasive and costly. Based on a recent report published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), it is estimated that chronic pain affects 116 million American adults – more than the total affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined. Pain also costs the nation up to $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity.