REPOST: September is Pain Awareness Month

The healthcare industry has attempted to raise awareness about different diseases and conditions by assigning a day or month each year to learning more about the illness.  The month of September is Pain Awareness Month.  The American Chronic Pain Association posts this article as a reminder on their website.

The month of September has been declared Pain Awareness Month.  Pain Awareness Month is a time when various organizations work to raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management. 

The first Pain Awareness Month was in 2001, when the ACPA led a coalition of groups to establish September as Pain Awareness Month.  ACPA established Partners for Understanding Pain and 80 organizations, both health care professionals and consumer groups, including the NAACP supported the effort. 

The key to raising awareness is to get involved.   There are many things that you can do to help promote Pain Awareness Month.

• Talk with Friends & Family:  Let them know that September is Pain Awareness Month.  “Like” the ACPA on Facebook.  Encourage your friends to do the same
•  Talk with your Healthcare Provider: Let them know that September is Pain Awareness Month.  You also can share the tools to better communicate with your healthcare team found at the links below:
  • What We Have Learned
  • Going to the ER
  • Communication Tools
  • Pain Management Programs
  • Videos
  • Resources
  • FAQs
  • Glossary
  • Surveys
• Call your local government and community leaders to let them know about Pain Awareness Month and issues of pain and pain management.  Tools to communicate with governmental and community leaders are available Click Here
• Call your local media and ask them if they are doing a story on Pain Awareness Month. Tools to communicate with media can be found here 
• Donate to the ACPA: Your contributions allow us to help fulfill our mission  and work year-round to raise awareness and support for those with chronic pain. Click here to donate
• Take care of yourself!  Take time out for yourself this month.  Tools to help take care of yourself are below:
  • Relaxation Video
  • ACPA Communication tools to increase your interaction with your health care professional.
  • Medication Safety Video

Dr. Melanie Novak treats patients who suffer from chronic pain using a range of medication, injection treatments and therapy. Read more about managing pain on this blog.