13 Sep Pain Awareness Month: A Compendium of Resources

September is Pain Awareness Month, and with a topic as expansive as pain, we’ve combed the PHMP Knowledgebase and collected our pain-related articles in one space.

We’ve also included some great information and resources from The American Chronic Pain Association, originators of Pain Awareness Month.

Some statistics and figures about pain

According to the CDC and multiple other sources, the United States has high prevalence of chronic pain.

• More than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience chronic pain
• Approximately 8% of adults have high-impact * chronic pain
• Most (84%) of high-impact chronic pain patients are unable to work outside of the home
• Chronic pain is the No. 1 cause of disability and disease burden globally

(* Note: high-impact chronic pain is defined as those who responded “most days” or “every day” to the survey question, “Over the past 3 months, how often did your pain limit your life or work activities? Would you say never, some days, most days, or every day?”)

Useful tools from the ACPA

The American Chronic Pain Association has many useful resources, including:

• The Care Card—helpful to understand how medication should be taken
• Daily Activity Checklist
• Post-doctors visit follow-up guide

One of the simplest and perhaps most useful tools included is The Ability Chart.

The Ability Chart is a simple tool for documenting how much pain you feel, on a scale of one to ten, engaging in a variety of common activities, such as climbing stairs and getting up from furniture.

The Ability Chart—which you can download and print from the ACPA website—is a great way for those who experience chronic pain to communicate with health professionals.

PHMP Knowledgebase Collections

Migraines and Headaches

All About Migraines Mini-Series

• Part One: A Myriad of Migraines
• Part Two: Causes and Symptoms
• Part Three: Treatment and Prevention

• 10 Natural Ways to Reduce Migraine Symptoms
• Getting Ahead of Headaches: Natural Remedies and Preventative Measures

Skin Conditions and Pain

• What Causes Chronic Pain?

All About Psoriasis Mini-Series

• Part 1
• Part 2

General Info

Pain and Pain Treatments Mini-Series

• Part 1: A Pain Primer
• Part 2: OTC and Prescriptions
• Part 3: At-Home and DIY