US Pain Management Device Market: Catering To An Aging Population

Article preview from Medtech Insight - August 1, 2011

An aging population along with new standards of care for treating pain could signal strong growth ahead for medical device manufacturers targeting the multibillion dollar pain management market.

US Pain Management Device Market: Catering To An Aging Population

Article preview from Medtech Insight - August 1, 2011

Pain relief options were limited in the past; however, significant progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of pain. Today, patients have access to a variety of new approaches to diagnosing the causes of pain, as well as new treatment and management strategies, and pain is being studied actively at all levels of basic and clinical research.

Pain is the single most common reason patients seek medical care, accounting for approximately half of all physician office visits in the US. Each year, more than 25 million Americans experience acute pain as a result of injury or surgery. And, more than 50% of patients with chronic pain become partially or completely disabled. The estimated economic impact of pain in the US, including disability and lost productivity costs, totals approximately $100 billion annually.

As the population ages and surgeries and chronic disorders become more prevalent, the issue of pain management will become more pressing. According to pain epidemiology studies, 80% to 85% of people older than age 65 suffer significant health problems that predispose them to pain; of these, 25% to 50% will experience significant pain, with that percentage increasing to 45% to 80% among nursing home patients. Another factor influencing this market is the increasing number of people in the US who regularly engage in vigorous activity and may suffer joint and muscle pain as a result.

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