People with chronic pain need support during COVID-19

Because of forced shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people with chronic pain have lost access to support programs, one expert says.

An estimated one in five Americans suffer from chronic pain, and more than 40 people die every day from prescription opioid overdoses. Many are now trying to cope on their own.

In a new commentary published in JAMA Network Open, Lewis S. Nelson, chair of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, emphasizes the need for rational and compassionate pain management and calls for an expansion of support to help patients overcome the stigma of the disease of addiction.

Here, he discusses how patients can manage the disease during the coronavirus crisis and what services are available to help them:

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