Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic Honored by ICON Impact Award Nomination

FORT MYERS, Fla., Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nominations for the ICON Business Awards were just announced, and the Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic is honored to be one of only six nominees for the Greatest Community/Charitable Impact Award. This is a tremendous distinction, as businesses and not-for-profit organizations from across the country were nominated. (https://unstoppablegc.com/icon-awards)

Said Dr. Alan Gruning, Executive and Medical Director, "We are thrilled to be recognized for the life-changing work we are doing for our friends and neighbors who have nowhere else to turn!"

The Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic is working to rewrite the paradigm for low-income, uninsured pain patients. It is the only free pain clinic of its kind in Florida, the only one identified in the country. The mission of the not-for-profit organization is to provide free holistic medical care to people suffering from painful conditions or injuries who are unable to afford treatment, all without the use of opioids or other drugs. The clinic treats this under-served demographic using a Functional Medicine model, addressing physical, spiritual, emotional and social needs.

There are currently no other options for these patients, as the emergency departments and urgent care facilities they frequent are not equipped to effectively treat the source of pain. These patients often leave with a large bill they are unable to pay and a prescription for pain medication that may leave them dependent, but with no improvement in their condition. This creates an unnecessary burden on the healthcare system and on the community as a whole.

The Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic utilizes physician and chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, nutrition and lifestyle education, essential oil therapy, and modalities such as electrical stimulation, cold laser and ultrasound to alleviate pain at the source and begin an effective healing process. No drugs are used in treatment. In fact, through the course of treatment, patients are helped to wean from opioids and other substances they have become dependent upon.

At this time, the Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic offers services by appointment only on Tuesdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. Fundraising for further expansion is underway, with the goal of being a permanent full-time staffed clinic. The ultimate goal is to utilize this model to replicate numerous free pain clinics across the state.

The clinic utilizes a small part-time staff and more than 50 loyal volunteers, including medical professionals who donate time and resources for the benefit of the patients. The Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic has been successful in helping patients return to work, resume care of their families, free themselves from walkers, canes and other assistive devices, and most importantly, restore hope.

To learn more about the Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic, visit www.freepainclinic.org. Some eye-opening facts:

• One in five adults suffer pain that interferes with their ability to work or perform daily functions.
• Twenty percent of adults in Florida cannot afford health insurance.
• In Florida, 17 people die of an opioid overdose every day (over 48,000 annually nationwide).
• Eighty percent of people who abuse opioids were initially prescribed for legitimate pain.
• The number of children entering foster care due to their parents' drug abuse (incarceration, rehab, death) has doubled since 2000.

About the Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic
The Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic is a 501(c)3 organization, founded in 2010 by Alan Gruning, DO, to provide high quality holistic medical care at no charge to those without the ability to pay, with attention to the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of health and healing. The clinic is funded solely through grants, contributions, and corporate sponsorships. Services are rendered by appointment at 6831 Palisades Park Court, Unit 3 in Fort Myers. For more information, visit www.freepainclinic.org. For eligibility, appointments and volunteer opportunities, please call 239.308.7107. For more information about our mission, sponsorship opportunities, speaking engagements or to make a tax-deductible donation, please call Michelle at 239.201.7877. We are proud to be a United Way Partner Agency.

SOURCE Southwest Florida Free Pain Clinic

Related Links

https://freepainclinic.org