September is Pain Awareness Month, a public health campaign sponsored by the American Chronic Pain Association since 2011, to raise awarenesss, “about how pain affects families, communities, the nation and the individual while also educating caregivers and healthcare professionals about various treatment options available to pain patients.” Cleveland Clinic explains that “pain occurs when something hurts, causing an uncomfortable or unpleasant feeling. The presence of pain often means that something is wrong.”
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that “In 2016, an estimated 20.4% of U.S. adults had chronic pain and 8.0% of U.S. adults had high impact chronic pain.” Cleveland Clinic differentiates chronic pain from acute pain by pointing out that chronic pain is ongoing and last longer than six months, while acute pain tends to be mild and lasts only for a moment.
The U.S. Pain Foundation wants to remove the stigma and shame that people experiencing pain sometimes feel and encourage them to speak up and share their experiences with their loved ones, clinicians and even policymakers. If you are experiencing pain of any kind, discuss safe and effective pain management options with your healthcare provider who will also want to examine the underlying cause for your pain. To schedule an appointment at any of our convenient Primary Medical Care Center community clinics, you may visit our website at www.primarymed.com, or call (305)751-1500 for our Miami-Dade clinic, or (954)289-0000 for our Broward clinic.
Source: https://uspainawarenessmonth.com/
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12051-acute-vs-chronic-pain
https://www.personalizedcause.com/health-awareness-cause-calendar/pain-awareness-month