Pain Awareness Month

The following appeared in the PainEDU.com earlier this month. 

"September is Pain Awareness Month. This busy month is marked by a variety of different initiatives and activities, all with the goal of promoting education, advocacy and awareness about chronic pain in order to break down the barriers to effective pain management.

Under-treatment of pain is a significant public health issue with far-reaching impact. With over 100 million people in the U.S. affected by chronic pain, it is no surprise that the societal burden of chronic pain is simply staggering. The Institute of Medicine in 2012 reported that the economic burden of pain exceeds $500 billion per year in the U.S., including health care utilization costs and lost workforce productivity."

I'll be attending the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Management later this month, for three days, for continuing medical education. Learning is a life-long experience, and I to get as much out of this meeting as possible.