I hope everyone is feeling well and having a relatively pain free day. Hmm, what does that mean? Relatively pain free day? Do I have those? Well I don’t mean totally pain free; I never have those. It’s not necessarily a good day in which my pain is almost negligible. I guess it means a day in which I am able to do more things than I can on a day when my pain is so bad that I am not able to do much of anything. Does that sound right? Do you have days with less pain? What would the world be like if there were less pain in it?
Why am I asking all these questions? Because September is Pain Awareness Month and during this month the American Pain Foundation (APF) Action Network (AN), and the volunteers around the country that make up the grassroots advocacy efforts of the Action Network, organize special programs and campaigns to educate about and enhance the awareness of pain and the impact it can have on the millions of lives that are affected by pain. Advocates around the country have asked their Governors to declare this month Pain Awareness Month in their State and many Governors have already agreed and sent a Proclamation. We also run educational seminars, reach out to legislators and media to enhance awareness about the need for effective pain management, and assist people in pain, their families and friends, and the general public to better understand the physiology of pain and the impact it can have on the physical, social, financial, personal, and even spiritual lives of over 115 million people in this country. (Statistic comes from the Institute of Medicine report on pain.)
The APF volunteers are busy running programs throughout the year, although special emphasis is given to enhancing awareness in September in an effort to draw the attention of all the stakeholders to whom we reach out. You can be part of our efforts this month by participating in the APF campaign “If There Were Less Pain In This World…”
In this campaign we are asking people in pain, family members, friends, medical professionals who work with people in pain, legislators, media personnel, and anyone else who would like to write a short piece in which you would respond to that thought. You can write about how it would affect you personally, or someone you know, or how it might affect how you practice medicine or your perspective on patients and pain, or any other way you think that statement should be continued. Later this month all the comments that have been submitted will be presented to President Obama with a request that he declare September as National Pain Awareness Month that will be recognized annually.
I encourage you to read what others have written. These short statements are inspirational, heart breaking, heart wrenching, yet hopeful in many ways. I have cried, laughed, and mostly just been very quiet and thoughtful by what some of these wonderful people have written. Please click on the link below to read what is there and to contribute your comments:
