The population prevalence and characteristics of pain complaints are difficult to
ascertain and to compare across studies.
23
In addition, most studies cannot take into account the many pain problems that afflict
each person sampled,
30
,
72
but which are so shortlived because of rapid resolution, infrequent recurrence or
mortality, that they do not show up in cross-sectional prevalence studies. For example,
the pain and suffering associated with fractures and cancer is usually not apparent
in epidemiologic studies. Even chronic conditions well known to increase with age,
such as central poststroke pain
57
and postherpetic neuralgia,
82
rarely are featured because of their low incidence compared with the overwhelming
frequency and chronicity of degenerative joint disease. Most prevalence studies are
also unable to incorporate the large number of questions needed to adequately describe
the pain experience: where is the site of pain; is it continuous or intermittent;
what has been its duration; what is its quality and severity at different times; how
is it aggravated and relieved; and how has it been treated? These are only some of
the clinical questions we might legitimately ask in any such study, and this ignores
the impact on quality of life and mood, the effects of and on comorbidity, and effects
on caregivers.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Footnotes
Address reprint requests to, Robert D. Helme, MBBS, PhD, FRACP, National Ageing Research Institute, PO Box 31, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia
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Copyright
© 2001 W. B. Saunders Company. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
