Florida (ouch!) is the nation's (yow!) pain suffering capital. And it will take more than a kiss to make the costly problem better.
By TOM ZUCCO
Published September 19, 2003
Why is this not surprising: Florida leads the nation in pain.
And it has nothing to do with jumping off condos into swimming pools or trampling each other trying to snatch $2 bills out of the air.
A survey by the Florida Pain Initiative, a group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, found Floridians are 32 percent more likely than the national average to be in some form of pain.
Three-quarters of Floridians who responded to the FPI poll said they suffer pain at least monthly, compared to 57 percent of all other Americans.
Florida: arrive alive; and then find a drug store.
Gov. Jeb Bush designated September as Pain Awareness Month, but survey proponents says pain management - or the lack of it - is a major health care issue that is often dismissed as unimportant.
The FPI calls it "a pain epidemic." Among the consequences are a loss of productivity and feelings of irritability and depression.
Yes, that would be Florida.
"It's hard to get the attention needed from a political standpoint, but when we talk to patients and caregivers, they completely understand and agree," said Jennifer Strickland, a clinical pharmacist and pain specialist at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, and president of FPI. "This truly does impact people, and because of the loss of productivity, it impacts the state's bottom line."
Strickland said much of the pain is caused by serious illnesses such as cancer, or by chronic conditions such as lower back pain or migraine headaches.
The problem is often made worse by undertreatment, misuse of medication, or the stigma associated with living with pain.
"People don't want to be complainers," Strickland said. "They're stoics. They don't want to be perceived as weak."
Especially the elderly, many of whom expect pain to come with age.
University of South Florida political science professor Susan MacManus, who directed the study, said the state's sizeable senior population could account for the large number of pain sufferers. But, she added, the study also found that the largest percentage of sufferers were people in the 30-49 age group.
"That's probably because baby boomers are not as stoic as the older population," Strickland said. "But as baby boomers age, I suspect that will change."
Strickland recommends those who suffer chronic pain find an empathetic physician who understands their needs. "And learn how to describe your pain," she said. "Use words like dull or sharp. And set realistic goals. The pain may not be completely resolved by medication, so if you can, try exercise or physical therapy to help."
Bob Welter, 48, of Palm Harbor, works as a senior technical officer at JP Morgan Chase in Tampa. Years of running marathons led to severe osteoarthritis in his right knee.
"Tylenol just wasn't making it, so I was using my girlfriend's pain medicine," he said. "I needed it because my knee hurt so bad."
Welter changed doctors and got a prescription that allows him to at least endure daily routines.
There was some encouraging news in the survey; nearly 80 percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied that their pain has been relieved by the treatment prescribed by a health care provider.
"At some point," Strickland said, "people have found relief."
