Pain Awareness Month: Why You Might See #PainCounts This September

Throughout September the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) raises awareness on pain and pain management. This year’s theme is “Research Pain. Manage Pain.” focusing on approaches to improving pain care.

The Importance of Pain Awareness Month

Around eight million Canadians live with chronic pain. 

Chronic pain can have a profound effect on quality of life making it hard to socialize, to work, to take part in everyday activities¹. Pain Awareness Month is a great chance to learn more, support the cause, and reduce the stigma around pain.

What Research Does IASP Support?

IASP is a global leader in progressing the study of pain. Their program supports a variety of topics such as medications, physical therapies and predicting pain. Another focus is researching the bigger picture of pain care. This includes studying which groups of people are in pain, how Covid-19 has impacted pain care and new approaches to pain care. IASP shares this research with health care professionals and policy makers to improve pain relief options for patients.

Highlighted by IASP: Pain Management Approaches

A highlight of this year’s campaign is the importance of approaching pain care in different ways. Pain is different for everybody, and there is no “one size fits all” solution. Similarly, treating pain can require more than one doctor or method. As a result, IASP is promoting three approaches to pain care to improve patient relief. When used together, pain can be managed effectively for every patient’s unique circumstances:

• Individualized Approach: Treatment is unique to each patient and their needs
• Multidisciplinary Approach: Treatment involves professionals from many specialties
• Multimodal Approach: Treatment using different methods at the same time.

An example of using these approaches is a sports injury. A patient may need both physiotherapy and medication to best treat their pain.

What is IASP Doing During Pain Awareness Month?

One way to get updates is on their Facebook and Twitter. There they post updates from conferences and quick reads. For those interested in diving deeper, IASP has plenty of articles. Their outlet RELIEF News offers in-depth looks at new research. Another great resource to check out is their webinars and resources for living with pain.

Find out more about Pain on Medical News Bulletin

References

1. Health Canada. (June 12, 2023). Chronic Pain. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/chronic-pain.html
2. International Association For The Study Of Pain. About. https://www.iasp-pain.org/about/ 
3. International Association For The Study Of Pain. (Sept. 2023). Pain Awareness Month. https://www.iasp-pain.org/advocacy/pain-awareness-month/