The Prevalence of Chronic Pain in the Adult Population in Israel: An Internet-Based Survey

Abstract

Background. Chronic pain (CP) prevalence in different studies has been inconsistent, ranging from 12% in Spain to 42% in the UK. Purpose. We conducted an internet-based survey in a representative cohort of Israeli adults assembled by a large professional survey company in order to probe the prevalence of CP in Israel. Methods. 8,300 Israeli adults comprising a representative cohort of the Israeli population were asked whether they were suffering from pain lasting over 3 months. 1647 participants responded (19.8% response rate). Of these, 515 (31.3%) had CP. Participants with CP were then asked a series of follow-up questions regarding their chronic pain. Statistical weights were used to correct for the distribution of the Israeli population based on sociodemographic characteristics. Results. CP patients were significantly older than respondents without pain. The average daily pain was 5.8/10 on a numerical rating scale. Common pain locations were axial skeleton and headaches. However, over half of patients reported pain in multiple body areas, and around a fifth had an undiagnosed chronic pain syndrome. Around 40% of pain patients reported to have visited a specialized pain clinic, and the same proportion has consulted several specialists. Despite this, a sizable proportion of high pain intensity patients were still left with no or inefficient treatment to alleviate their pain. Conclusions. This is the first internet survey conducted in Israel to estimate the incidence of CP, and the high CP prevalence documented is in agreement with previous reports from Europe and the USA. It also reaffirms the widespread existence of multifocal or widespread pain in clinical chronic pain and the correlation between pain intensity, impact on patients’ quality of life and disability, and pain intractability. These data reaffirm the similarly major health burden CP presents across different countries and cultures.