#LifeWithPain Initiative Seeks To Raise Awareness Of The Reality Of Chronic Pain

WEST HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Pain Foundation seeks to raise awareness about the individual experiences facing 50 million Americans living with chronic pain this September during Pain Awareness Month. The initiative, #LifeWithPain, will show the daily struggles of living with chronic pain, highlight its harrowing impact, and provide a space for those afflicted to share their stories. 

Chronic pain affects 20% of the U.S. population. But research, treatment options, and support still lag behind other major diseases. Earlier this year, the U.S. Pain Foundation conducted a comprehensive survey to gather insight about living with, caring for, or treating chronic pain. The disturbing findings, found in A Chronic Pain Crisis, underscore the devastating impact of chronic pain on quality of life. The U.S. Pain Foundation plans to raise awareness throughout September by sharing:

• A daily statistic from A Chronic Pain Crisis on the U.S. Pain Foundation's social media profiles highlighting #LifeWithPain—addressing the prevalence of chronic pain, the stigma associated with it, access and advocacy issues, treatments, mental health, and more.
• Weekly articles to be published on uspainfoundation.org focusing on the prevalence of having multiple conditions, new therapeutics, self-management, and caregiver burnout.
• A two-part webinar event at the end of the month that brings together pain management experts to address a key finding: "The Patient/Provider Relationship Under Stress and How Do We Improve It?"
• A series of social media challenges encouraging the public to share their #LifeWithPain experiences.

"This month, we aim to highlight individual experiences of living with pain, sharing real stories of people seeking better quality of life and pain management options," said Nicole Hemmenway, CEO of the U.S. Pain Foundation. "We also want to raise awareness about the need for all of us—patient groups, health care providers, insurers, and policymakers—to work together to better serve people with pain and improve pain care for millions of Americans."

Through #LifeWithPain, the U.S. Pain Foundation hopes to:

• Highlight what life with pain looks like for 20% of the population, and how chronic pain is vastly under-recognized, underfunded, and undertreated when considering its significant impact on American lives.
• Reduce stigma faced by those living with chronic pain, and promote empathy and overall understanding about its unique challenges—including the emotional and physical stress it can cause caregivers and care partners.
• Spur greater research into safe, effective treatments for chronic pain.
• Encourage increased pain education for health care professionals, including through the dissemination of the U.S. government's Pain Management Best Practices Report.

For more information about the #LifeWithPain initiative, visit uspainfoundation.org/painawarenessmonth.

The mission of the U.S. Pain Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals living with chronic illnesses and serious injuries that cause pain, as well as their caregivers and clinicians. For more information, visit uspainfoundation.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES
Nicole Hemmenway
361-695-5382
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S. Pain Foundation