Healthy Habits - Most Common Chronic Pain Points

 Despite so many groundbreaking advances in healthcare, pain remains.

Pain is often baffling to treat and is as close to universal as any part of the human experience. It’s like bad weather; nearly everyone experiences it some of the time.

Novaalab recently surveyed Americans in 40 major cities about their experiences with pain, learning about its severity, persistence, costs, and origins in the body.

Key findings:

• 91% of Americans have recently experienced recurring pain. 
• Lower back and neck pain are the most common areas where Americans experience pain. 
• Stress or anxiety and poor posture are the main causes of Americans' pain. 
• Half of Americans have spent $100 or more on pain relief in the past year
• OTC pain relievers and heat or cold therapy are the most common relief methods Americans have tried
• Smoking, alcohol, and fast food are the top three things Americans would give up to be pain-free for one year.

This is a consumer-health story with a data backbone: it explains behavior, not just prevalence. It also sets up strong service journalism, like what people try first, what they avoid, and what they wish they knew earlier.