American Pain Foundation

American Pain Foundation

September is Pain Awareness Month!

September is Pain Awareness Month, a time for uniting and doubling our efforts to raise awareness about the persisting barriers preventing those living with pain from getting the help they desperately need and, more urgently, to take action to break down these obstacles. Serendipitously, it comes as we are pushing for final passage of a national pain policy for members of the military and civilians. These pieces of legislation, if passed, would change the landscape of pain medicine in a similar way to other, once neglected conditions, including HIV/AIDS.

Here are some simple, but powerful ways you can make a difference:

• Add your voice to the movement working to getting this national legislation pass. In a few simple steps you can compose and forward a letter to your Congressperson asking them to sign onto the bill as a sponsor.
• Join APF’s Power Over Pain advocacy network so that you’ll so that you’ll be in the know about movement on this pain bill as it happens.
• Visit the September is Pain Awareness Month section of our website to download valuable tools to help with your pain advocacy efforts. You can find information about hosting a Power Over Pain presentation, and reaching out to your local media to raise awareness about the problems with the under treatment of pain. Consider writing an op-ed piece or submitting a letter to the editor of your local paper. Our PAM toolkit contains easy to use templates for media outreach.
• Check out the Pain Awareness Month planned activities and connect with your POPAN state leader.

If you’ve been thinking about getting involved with this growing movement, today can be the day to make a difference in the lives of 76.5 million Americans suffering from chronic pain. Let us combine our voices and our muscle to demand better access to better pain care!