Why Pain Medication Use is Really on the Rise
By Albert Ray, MD
Over the years, confusion and misinformation surrounding the use of opioids has contributed to the already significant problem of under-treating pain in the more than 70 million Americans who live with it daily. Most recently, a national news media report on federal drug prescription data concluded that retail sales of five commonly prescribed pain medications have almost doubled over the last eight years. While attention-grabbing, these kinds of reports do not provide the full story about the role of pain medication in treating chronic pain.

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 Introduced to Help Americans Living with Pain
On July 11, 2007, the National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) and Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI).

Listen to an Interview about Pain with Rollin Gallagher, MD, MPH
National Pain Foundation Board member and Editor-in-Chief Dr. Rollin Gallagher was interviewed on the Philadelphia radio show Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane on June 27, 2007. During the interview, Dr. Gallagher discussed pain medicine in the United States, including some historical perspective on understanding and treating pain, advances in the science surrounding pain medicine and the issues surrounding treating pain in injured soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Click here to listen to the interview. (Requires an mp3 player.)

Pain Research News

• Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Relieved by Lasers and Electroacupuncture
• Triptan Medication May Prevent Menstrual Migraine
• Unexplained Muscle or Joint Pain in Children Related to Headaches and Fatigue
• Parents May Play a Role in their Children's Migraine Pain
• Physical Therapy can Help Low Back Pain
• Lipid Lowering Medications Protect Against Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy
• FDA Approves First Artificial Disc for the Neck in the United States

Chronic Pain Anonymous
By Florence
Florence shares her journey of living with chronic illness and pain that eventually led her and others with an active physical disease to start a 12 Step program that became Chronic Pain Anonymous (CPA). CPA is a fellowship of friends who understand the journey of recovery of one's spirit while living in a body that doesn't always do what you want. Read more about her experiences and how CPA helped her learn to live one day at a time.

American Academy of Pain Management Annual Meeting
Interdisciplinary pain management clinicians will gather at the American Academy of Pain Management's 18th Annual Clinical Meeting, September 27-30, 2007 in Las Vegas to discuss the current state of pain management in the United States. Health care professionals interested in attending should register at http://www.aapainmanage.org or call (209) 533-9744.