Epidemiology of pain disorders among outpatients at Joypurhat Sadar Hospital

Background: Pain disorders represent a significant public health concern, especially in low-resource settings where data on their epidemiology are limited. Understanding the patterns and burden of pain among outpatients can inform appropriate management strategies and healthcare planning. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, 250 Bed Sadar Hospital, Joypurhat, Bangladesh, between January and July 2024. A total of 200 adult outpatients presenting with various pain disorders were enrolled consecutively. Sociodemographic data, anthropometric measurements, clinical diagnoses and duration of pain were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Most of the participants were female (77.5%) with a mean age of 37.7±12.6 years. Most were housewives (67.5%) and the predominant age group was 31-45 years (47.5%). The average BMI was 23.75±3.52. The most common diagnosis was mechanical low back pain (81.0%), followed by musculoskeletal chest pain (5.5%) and cervical spondylosis (4.0%). in terms of chronicity, 36.5% reported acute pain (<1 month), 34.0% had subacute pain (1–3 months) and 29.5% had chronic pain (>3 months). Conclusions: Mechanical low back pain emerged as the most prevalent pain disorder among outpatients, with a substantial portion experiencing chronic symptoms. These findings highlight the need for early diagnosis, targeted intervention and resource-appropriate pain management strategies in district-level healthcare settings.