60 Million Americans Live With Chronic Pain: U.S. Pain Foundation Launches #OneVoiceForPain

Pain Awareness Month campaign unites lived experience, data, and action to strengthen the collective voice of the pain community

WEST HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronic pain affects more than 60 million Americans. They span every age and countless diagnoses, and each has a story of their own. Yet across those differences, many share the same realities: struggling to be believed, searching for effective care, adapting daily life around pain, and feeling isolated or unheard.

This Pain Awareness Month, the U.S. Pain Foundation is bringing those experiences together through #OneVoiceForPain, a national campaign focused on the common challenges, needs, and priorities that connect people living with pain.

The 2026 theme — All Ages. Countless Diagnoses. Millions of Stories. One Movement. — explores both the diversity of pain and the common ground that connects those living with it.

Findings from a recent U.S. Pain Foundation survey underscore both the complexity of chronic pain and the need for greater connection: among more than 2,000 people living with chronic pain, respondents reported an average of 10 distinct diagnoses, while 73% said they felt socially isolated or misunderstood.

"Chronic pain may look different from person to person, but the need to be heard, understood, and supported is universal," said Nicole Hemmenway, CEO of the U.S. Pain Foundation. "#OneVoiceForPain is about bringing those experiences together to build greater understanding, strengthen community, and create meaningful change. No one should face pain alone—and this Pain Awareness Month, we want to ensure that every voice is heard."

During September, U.S. Pain Foundation will explore four connected themes:

• All Ages: How pain affects people at every stage of life.
• Countless Diagnoses: What people with pain have in common, regardless of condition.
• Millions of Stories: What lived experience and U.S. Pain Foundation survey findings reveal about needs, gaps, and priorities.
• One Movement: Why progress requires collaboration across the pain community and beyond.

Together, the campaign will bring greater visibility to the experiences shared by people with pain, the challenges that remain, and the changes the community wants to see.

The U.S. Pain Foundation invites everyone to join #OneVoiceForPain—by raising awareness, building connection, advocating for change, supporting those with pain, and helping ensure lived experience is centered wherever decisions about pain are made.

Learn more and get involved at uspainfoundation.org/painawarenessmonth.

About U.S. Pain Foundation
The mission of the U.S. Pain Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals living with pain, as well as their care partners and providers. Visit uspainfoundation.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Nicole Hemmenway, CEO
361-695-5382
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S. Pain Foundation