Around 42 percent of older adults suffer from pain and 85 percent have suffered from joint pain for at least two years. Pain levels can be so severe that 63 percent of adults say that it interferes with normal day-to-day functioning along with 10 percent reporting it impacts their mental health as well.
And yet, many of these individuals delay seeking treatment or never obtain it. The average amount of time it takes a person to receive treatment for their joint pain is 16 months. The survey results suggest that knee pain sufferers live in silence the longest, with 57 percent of people delaying treatment for as long as 17 months.
Hip pain was another common type of pain that went ignored, with an average of 14.5-month delay and 63 percent of people putting it off. Furthermore, women with hip pain put off seeking treatment the longest, being twice as likely to not speak to their doctors about their hip pain.
The survey found that among those who delayed treatment, many of them regretted waiting so long.
Andy Williams, consultant orthopedic surgeon and founder surgeon at Fortius Clinic said: “The number of people putting off seeking help for joint pain is staggering. Over 50s today are more active than ever and should be looking forward to so many more healthy years ahead – but by ignoring their pain and disability, and the success of joint replacement, they are condemned to prolonged suffering.”
The top five areas to experience pain over the age of 50 included (1) back, (2) knee, (3) shoulder, (4) hips, and (5) neck pain.
There are several causes for joint pain, meaning there are several different types of treatments available to reduce it. The longer you wait to treat your pain, the longer you will suffer and the possibility of worsening your pain increases too. You are only hurting yourself by not addressing your pain with your doctor or specialist.
Why struggle to complete daily activities when you can actually enjoy them? Don’t be like the respondents of the survey who live with regret of putting off getting treatment for their pain. The sooner you speak to your doctor, the sooner you can begin to ease your joint pain.
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