AMTA, others educating consumers and caregivers alike
September is Pain Awareness Month, and with all the media coverage and ongoing debates about the management of pain in U.S. healthcare, many organizations are using the opportunity to educate the public on effective pain management techniques.
For example, the American Massage Therapy Association’s (AMTA) website has a page devoted to the role massage therapy can play in helping the 50 million-plus Americans who suffer from chronic pain.
“In many cases, pain may be better addressed through an integrative approach,” the page reads. “Massage therapy is a safe and effective option.”
With pain accounting for approximately 80 percent of medical visits, and the ongoing opioid crisis in our nation, AMTA says that massage therapy can be part of an integrative approach to pain management. Simply replacing opioid medications with massage therapy for certain conditions could potentially reduce addiction rates by over 111,000 people.
Meanwhile, the American Chronic Pain Association offered various resources on dealing with chronic pain — links to various organizations raising public awareness, advice for petitioning legislators to act on behalf of those with chronic pain, and updates on the latest research involving pain management along with advice on how to participate in future studies.
Finally, the U.S. Pain Foundation’s Pain Awareness Pledge is encouraging Americans to show their support for those living with chronic pain by placing blue ribbons around their community — on trees, flagpoles, lawn and other road signage during the month of September.
“This is the way to unite pain warriors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, lawmakers and others in the form of a pledge,” they wrote. “The pledge is a simple way to show the nation that chronic pain is a disease, which needs to be addressed through policies, education and fair access to treatments.”
