Epidemiological surveys suggest that the prevalence of pain increases with age, and
women are generally more likely to report persistent pain
than men (Tsang et al., 2008). Surveys of other large
samples indicate that although pain prevalence increases
with age, pain intensity may be highest during midlife (e.g.,
45–65 years), when the incidence of severe pain peaks
(Langley, 2011). Among older adults who report pain, most
(60%) describe it as “moderate,” and about 25% describe it
as “severe” (Langley, 2011).