On Tuesday, January 26, 2010, I was in Albany, NY, to testify at a Legislative Briefing on low back pain injuries and the need for effective chronic pain treatment.  The primary cause for holding this briefing was a set of proposed guidelines on low back injuries, however we also took this opportunity to bring to the attention of those in attendance the many existing barriers to accessing treatments, whether they be lack of medical education about pain, insurance limitations or the negative perception about chronic pain that permeates much of society and the stigma associated with the more serious, and effective, pain medications.

I was there in my capacity as a volunteer spokesperson for the American Pain Foundation’s Action Network, which I have written about many times before.  Also speaking at the event were Will Rowe, president of the American Pain Foundation (APF), who spoke about the advocacy work the APF is doing and why it is so important.  William is a frequent contributor to this site and is tireless in his work advocating for access to effective treatments for all people in pain.  The third participant was Pat, a Physician Assistant and a pain management practitioner, who is also a Gold Star Mother, having lost her stepson in the war in Iraq. She spoke about the need for better resources and treatments for returning military and veterans who are experiencing injuries that will require a lifetime of treatment and pain management.  The final speaker in our group was Dr. A., a neurologist at Albany Medical Center, who has been involved in the pain management field for many years and wrote many of the existing materials used in the practice of treating pain.

The attendees ranged from legislative staff to advocates from other organizations and/or corporations, and a few members of veteran programs.  The level of interest the audience demonstrated, and the questions we received afterward, were a good indication that our presentation was well received.  In fact, I was asked for additional information about the American Pain Foundation and how a person could become involved,as well as whether I would be willing to speak to other groups. 

One of the primary goals of the APF Action Network is to reach out to various groups, including legislators, media, community groups, medical professionals, people in pain, and the general public to enhance awareness about the impact pain can have on a person’s physical and emotional well being.  My contribution at events such as this is to give the personal perspective by telling the audience how pain has impacted my life and the myriad changes I have experienced due to pain. I also emphasize the difference effective pain treatment can make in living a productive and fulfilling life.

On a more personal level, I want to share with you how good it felt to be doing something so productive.  During my 20+year career in higher education administration and non-profit management the areas of government affairs and community relations were part of my portfolio of responsibilities and I enjoyed the work very much.  I would often travel to Albany to represent the university’s interest while I worked in a state university, and while executive director of a national health organization and vice president of a private university I would often be in Albany and Washington advocating for better budgets, research funding or working on a special project that might involve a legislator.  All of my responsibilities involved interacting with people, whether they were faculty and students, alumni, community members, government officials, or media representatives, and it is probably the one aspect of my career that I miss the most.