September Is Pain Awareness Month

Need a reason to finally see an experienced pain management specialist about addressing your chronic pain? In September, you’ll have the perfect chance because it’s National Pain Awareness Month.

This month signals a time when various organizations around the country and the world work together to raise public awareness about this common condition, as well as the options available for effective pain management.

First launched in 2001 by the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), the designation began when the ACPA led a coalition of groups to establish September as Pain Awareness Month.

So what can you do to mark this occasion, and help raise awareness across the board? It starts with the following steps.

1. Determine if you suffer from chronic pain.

Chronic pain is typically classified as any pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks. The pain can be constant or sporadic, can be located in any part of the body, and can stem from a long list of contributing factors.

This could include physical factors like:

• A slipped disc
• Bulging disc
• Compression fracture
• Spinal stenosis

The pain can be enhanced by health factors as well, such as:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Diet
• Exercise
• Other daily activities

2. Talk to your friends and loved ones.

One of the hardest aspects of chronic pain for sufferers is that it interferes with their daily life, and it’s hard to explain to family members the condition, as well as how it affects your outlook.

People who suffer from chronic pain tend to have the following, and it can be hard for friends and loved ones to understand these changes.

• Changes in mood
• Activity levels
• Day-to-day functions

So talk to your inner circle about what you are going through! Awareness starts with loved ones. By having a conversation about your chronic pain, your family and friends will be more understanding and have a better ability to help with the challenges to come.

3. Make an appointment with an experienced pain management specialist.

Many chronic pain patients first start to address their condition by heading to their:

• Family doctor
• The emergency room
• General practitioner

But this often leads to:

• Follow-up appointments
• Expensive medications
• Invasive surgeries that may not provide a long term solution

Your better bet is to schedule an appointment with an experienced interventional pain management specialist.

As awareness about chronic pain grows, so do the array of treatments available that can help address the root cause of the problem without invasive surgeries or prescription pain relievers to address the symptoms temporarily.

4. Understand no two chronic pain conditions are the same.

The primary benefit of working with an interventional pain management specialist is that you’ll work together to formulate a treatment plan that is specific to you.

Remember, every case of chronic pain is different, so what has worked for a colleague or friend might not be an effective treatment for your specific pain.

As such, meeting one-on-one with a pain management specialist is the best way to identify a solution that fits with your pain, and with your everyday life.

Contact Us

Above all else, remember chronic pain is a condition you don’t have to deal with, and you don’t have to put your life on hold to find an effective treatment.

Contact us today to schedule your consultation, and we’ll work together to find the root cause of your pain and to identify an effective and safe treatment that works best for you.

Resources

• Image attribution
• Webmd.com
• Medlineplus.gov
• Emedicinehealth.com
• En.wikipedia.org

FDA Disclaimer. This information on this site is for education purposes only. These statements and testimonials are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The statements made regarding some or all products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please consult a physician or other health care professional for your specific health care and medical needs or concerns.