We Need to Talk about Pain

September is here, and along with the changing of the season, and all the other notable things about this month that come to mind ... we need to talk about pain.

Why are we talking about pain right now? September is Pain Awareness Month.

The word ‘pain’ may bring to mind the last time you felt a sudden pain, or saw another person express that they were in pain. Talking about our personal experiences with pain can bring up different thoughts, feelings, and memories for each of us. That’s because everyone’s pain is unique to them.

That’s true about low back pain, which is one of the most common types of pain. Low back pain that doesn’t go away is called chronic low back pain. Research about chronic low back pain is part of The Helping to End Addiction Long-term^SM Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^SM, of which the Back Pain Consortium Research Program (BACPAC) network is a part, along with the BEST Trial (Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments).

Talking about chronic low back pain during Pain Awareness Month helps those living with it reduce some of the isolation the pain can cause. How can you get involved this month? Check out some of these recent resources:

• The US Pain Foundation has resources at https://uspainfoundation.org/painawarenessmonth/ and is using a hashtag for social media, #LifeWithPain. They are posting a statistic every day and will be hosting a two-part event.
• Research Spotlight - Read this article about the research being conducted by the Back Pain Research Program (BACPAC) that is studying the use of wearable devices.
• Explore resources on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium website at https://www.painconsortium.nih.gov/