Author: Yasgur Batya Swift
Medscape Medical News
Summary
Nearly one in four U.S. adults reported living with chronic pain in 2023, up from 20% in 2020, with 8.5% experiencing pain severe enough to limit daily activities. Chronic pain costs the healthcare system over $725 billion annually and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Experts note that the rise in chronic pain is linked to aging, chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, cancer survivorship, and psychosocial stressors.
Pain can be nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic (neuroplastic), and growing research emphasizes the cognitive and emotional dimensions of chronic pain. The interrelationship between chronic pain, depression, and anxiety is strong, with about 40% of patients affected.
Management strategies are shifting away from a reliance on opioids toward integrative, multidisciplinary care. Nonpharmacologic first-line treatments include physical therapy, exercise, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Psychological interventions, such as CBT, mindfulness, hypnotherapy, and emotional awareness therapies, have shown efficacy in altering brain processing of pain. Neuroplastic recovery therapy (NRT) has also demonstrated encouraging results compared to usual care and mindfulness.
Emerging options include neuromodulation and novel pharmacologic agents targeting sodium channels, such as suzetrigine, the first new pain drug approved by the FDA in 25 years. However, its role in chronic pain remains uncertain. Experts stress the importance of individualized, multimodal strategies that combine lifestyle changes, psychological support, and both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments.
Practical implications
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Rising rates of chronic pain require proactive multidisciplinary strategies.
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Nonpharmacologic and psychological interventions are increasingly validated as core management tools.
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Screening for depression and anxiety should be routine in chronic pain patients.
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New drug approvals such as suzetrigine provide potential opioid-sparing alternatives but must be evaluated carefully before being applied to chronic pain.
References
Author: Yasgur Batya Swift
Medscape Medical News, May 07, 2025
Thank you to Medscape for allowing us to reference this article.