New Research Links Chronic Pain to Socioeconomic Background

New research indicates that the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain may be influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, fear of movement, smoking, and weaker support networks.

In a systematic review of current evidence, researchers found that people from a lower socioeconomic background were twice as likely to develop chronic pain following injury.

Those with a combination of characteristics including smoking, high level of pain at the time of injury, fear of movement, poorer support networks, and a lower level of education or household income, may be seven times more likely to develop chronic pain after injury. The results are published in PLOS One.