Chronic pain affects more than 25 million Americans of all ages and races. The most common types of chronic pain are headaches, back pain, arthritis pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, whiplash pain, neuropathy pain, and phantom limb pain. If you are suffering from any type of undiagnosed pain, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
Also, since September is National Pain Awareness Month, we thought it would be a good time to share some chronic pain management resources, recommended by the National Resource Directory, with you.
Helpful resources:
- American Chronic Pain Association. Provides links to resources for people living with chronic pain, including communication tools, lessons learned about chronic pain and its management, and more: American Chronic Pain Association
- American Pain Foundation. Provides educational information and support to help Service Members and Veterans suffering from chronic pain get better care, decrease their isolation, and pursue a better quality of life: American Pain Foundation
- American Pain Society. This site talks about specific study findings, including the role of medication in pain treatment, non-medicine treatments and the role of medical professionals: American Pain Society
- Army Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Initiative. Aims to improve the management of pain in military and civilian medicine through clinical and research efforts: Army Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Initiative
- Chronic Pain Treatment Information. Provides information on treatments for chronic pain such as neurostimulation, pain pumps and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units: Chronic Pain Treatment Information
- Exercise to Help Manage Chronic Pain and/or Fatigue. Discusses the benefits of regular physical activity and/or exercise to help manage chronic pain and/or fatigue: Exercise to Help Manage Chronic Pain and/or Fatigue
- Military In-Step: Managing Pain. Provides information on residual limb wound pain, phantom limb sensation and other causes of pain after amputations, as well as information on interventions and treatments for pain: Military In-Step: Managing Pain
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders & Stroke. Defines and explains chronic pain, plus discusses treatment options and current research. Includes contact information for relevant organizations as well as links to NINDS publications and information: National Institute for Neurological Disorders & Stroke
- Pain–Hope Through Research. Discusses the diagnosis, components and treatment of chronic pain, including pain associated with neurological and other conditions: Pain–Hope Through Research
- VA Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program. Provides in-patient chronic pain treatment to Veterans. Designated a VA Clinical Program of Excellence for pain treatment. Part of the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, Florida, but accepts referrals for patients from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands: VA Chronic Pain Rehabilitation
If you are in pain and would like to get help, an advocacy service like Health Advocate or Health Proponent could be a useful resource for you. Your Personal Health Advocate can help you find medical providers including primary care physicians, specialist, and counselors, and they can also help you locate other chronic pain-related resources in your area.
