The US Pain Foundation Launches New Awareness Initiative

In an effort to educate the public about pain research and its impact on over 51.6 million Americans living with chronic pain, the US Pain Foundation has started an initiative to highlight the need for more research to improve outcomes. Titled #PainTrials, the endeavor will focus on current pain research efforts — including those being conducted through the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-term® (HEAL) initiative.

According to a company press release, the organization hopes to:

• Increase awareness that chronic pain is a disease in and of itself that must be addressed and properly treated.
• Spotlight the need for more pain research and emphasize the ways in which research promotes greater understanding of chronic pain and, subsequently, improved health outcomes.
• Highlight current pain research efforts, such as those being completed by the NIH HEAL Initiative and the Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS) Program.
• Inform individuals living with pain about the various types of pain research and how they contribute to the landscape of chronic pain treatment.
• Offer practical information for patients about how they can get involved with clinical trials, the questions they should be asking, and why participation in research is important.

"This month, we are excited to delve into the importance of pain research, and the impact research has on improved health outcomes for the millions of Americans living with the daily challenges of chronic pain," said Nicole Hemmenway, CEO, the US Pain Foundation. "We are excited to collaborate with the NIH HEAL Initiative, prominent researchers, and Humana to share the importance of pain research. A greater focus on research is vital to increase understanding and action surrounding chronic pain."

Reference: #PainTrials Initiative Seeks To Raise Awareness About The Need For Pain Research. PR Newswire. September 1, 2023. Accessed September 8, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paintrials-initiative-seeks-to-raise-awareness-about-the-need-for-pain-research-301914228.html