As most of you know, I am sole caregiver for my 90+ Mom, who has had a stroke and a concussion this year. The worst of it is the near-constant nagging back pain. So I wondered, especially given that most such caregivers are women, are we all feeling this way?
Margie is one of the estimated 42.1 million unpaid, informal caregivers who each year, provide support valued at more than $450 billion to adults, usually family members, with physical disabilities and other conditions that impose limitations on daily activities. And like many informal caregivers, she suffers from chronic back, shoulder, and knee pain from the physically demanding work – pain that sometimes prevents her from caring for her husband.
According to a new study from researchers at The Ohio State University, Margie’s experience is common, particularly among the estimated 14 million “high-burden” caregivers (defined by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP as people who spend more than 21 hours a week assisting care recipients with activities of daily living).
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The research, based on questionnaires and interviews with 46 informal caregivers, showed that across four weeks, 94% reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain in at least one body part, with the lower back (76%), knees, shoulder, and wrist (43% each) being the most common sites for discomfort. More than 78% of caregivers said that the pain impacted their ability to provide care, and 66% said the pain impacted their overall quality of life.
Gee, activities that cause pain in 94% of those participating. Maybe something needs to change?
Updated to add: This compares with “nearly 9 in 10”football players retired from the NFL with chronic pain, but a minimum $405,000 per year salary during their working years to compensate.