The ACPA
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  • Clinical Trials
  • Conditions & Treatments
    • How to Communicate Symptoms to HCP
      • Quality of Life Scale
    • Conditions A-Z
    • Treatments A-Z
  • Pain Management Tools
    • Communication Tools
      • Tracking Tools
        • MedCard PDF
        • Back Pain Map
        • CARE Card (How to take your medications)
        • Daily Activity Checklist
        • DPN Pain Map
        • Fibro Log
        • Fibro Pain Map
        • Follow Up From Your Visit
        • Head Pain Map
        • Pain Log
        • Arthritis Ability Chart
        • Migraine Conversation Guide
        • OIC Log
        • Migraine Log
        • Opioid Induced Constipation Graphical Tool
        • Pain Log Phone App
        • Prepare For Your Healthcare Visit
        • Quality of Life Scale
        • Where Does It Hurt? / Nerve Man
        • Quality of Life Scale – Spanish
      • Interactive Maps
      • PDF Graphical Tools
      • Phone Apps
    • From Patient to Person
    • Self-Management Skills
    • Basic Rights
    • Going to the ER
      • How to Prepare
      • What to Expect
      • “Why do I have to wait so long?”
      • What Not to Expect
      • When You See the Doctor
      • The Importance of Following Up
    • Pain Management Programs
      • Assessment
      • Communication – Importance of Using ACPA Communication Tools
      • Education
      • Program Outcomes
      • Conclusion
    • Videos
      • Communication/Education
      • Conditions/Treatments
      • Support
    • Relaxation Audio
    • FAQs
    • Resources
      • Health Conditions
      • Life Resources
      • Professional Groups
      • Helpful Reading
    • Surveys
      • Taking Care
      • Migraine Headaches
      • OIC
      • Having a Plan for an Opioid Emergency
      • Access and Attitudes Globally
    • Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Treatments
      • Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Management
      • Consumer Guidelines for Low Back Pain
      • More About Medications
    • The Art of Pain Management
      • Living With Pain
      • Music to Help You Relax
  • Pain Awareness
    • Partners for Understanding Pain
      • Partners List
      • Media
    • Pain Awareness Toolkits
    • September is Pain Awareness Month
    • Up Coming Events (Calendar)
  • Quick Links
  • Donate
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  • Linking Policy
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  • About Us
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    • Advisory Board
    • Partners & Contributors
    • Chronicles & Updates-Staying Connected
      • Archives
      • ACPA Newsletter
    • ACPA History
  • Support ACPA
  • Contact
  • Clinical Trials
  • Conditions & Treatments
    • How to Communicate Symptoms to HCP
      • Quality of Life Scale
    • Conditions A-Z
    • Treatments A-Z
  • Pain Management Tools
    • Communication Tools
      • Tracking Tools
        • MedCard PDF
        • Back Pain Map
        • CARE Card (How to take your medications)
        • Daily Activity Checklist
        • DPN Pain Map
        • Fibro Log
        • Fibro Pain Map
        • Follow Up From Your Visit
        • Head Pain Map
        • Pain Log
        • Arthritis Ability Chart
        • Migraine Conversation Guide
        • OIC Log
        • Migraine Log
        • Opioid Induced Constipation Graphical Tool
        • Pain Log Phone App
        • Prepare For Your Healthcare Visit
        • Quality of Life Scale
        • Where Does It Hurt? / Nerve Man
        • Quality of Life Scale – Spanish
      • Interactive Maps
      • PDF Graphical Tools
      • Phone Apps
    • From Patient to Person
    • Self-Management Skills
    • Basic Rights
    • Going to the ER
      • How to Prepare
      • What to Expect
      • “Why do I have to wait so long?”
      • What Not to Expect
      • When You See the Doctor
      • The Importance of Following Up
    • Pain Management Programs
      • Assessment
      • Communication – Importance of Using ACPA Communication Tools
      • Education
      • Program Outcomes
      • Conclusion
    • Videos
      • Communication/Education
      • Conditions/Treatments
      • Support
    • Relaxation Audio
    • FAQs
    • Resources
      • Health Conditions
      • Life Resources
      • Professional Groups
      • Helpful Reading
    • Surveys
      • Taking Care
      • Migraine Headaches
      • OIC
      • Having a Plan for an Opioid Emergency
      • Access and Attitudes Globally
    • Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Treatments
      • Resource Guide to Chronic Pain Management
      • Consumer Guidelines for Low Back Pain
      • More About Medications
    • The Art of Pain Management
      • Living With Pain
      • Music to Help You Relax
  • Pain Awareness
    • Partners for Understanding Pain
      • Partners List
      • Media
    • Pain Awareness Toolkits
    • September is Pain Awareness Month
    • Up Coming Events (Calendar)
  • Quick Links
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Linking Policy
  • The American Chronic Pain Association
  • About Us
    • Support Groups
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Board
    • Partners & Contributors
    • Chronicles & Updates-Staying Connected
      • Archives
      • ACPA Newsletter
    • ACPA History
  • Support ACPA
  • Contact
  • The American Chronic Pain Association
  • About Us
    • Support Groups
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Board
    • Partners & Contributors
    • Chronicles & Updates-Staying Connected
      • Archives
      • ACPA Newsletter
    • ACPA History
  • Support ACPA
  • Contact
  • The American Chronic Pain Association
  • About Us
    • Support Groups
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Board
    • Partners & Contributors
    • Chronicles & Updates-Staying Connected
      • Archives
      • ACPA Newsletter
    • ACPA History
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  • About Us

About Us

 

Additional sub-categories in this section include:

  • Support Groups
  • Board of Directors
  • Advisory Board
  • Partners & Contributors
  • Chronicles
  • ACPA History

Since 1980, the ACPA has offered peer support and education in pain management skills to people with pain, family and friends, and health care professionals.

The information and tools on our site can help you to better understand your pain and work more effectively with your health care team toward a higher quality of life.

Our History:

The American Chronic Pain Association was founded in 1980 by Penney Cowan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After many years of living with chronic pain, Penney had taken part in the pain management program at the Cleveland Clinic and was eager to maintain the skills she had learned there when she returned to her daily life.

Penney placed a notice in her church bulletin and soon found others whose lives were compromised by ongoing pain. They began meeting as the first ACPA support group. This one small group quickly became many. Unable to be personally involved with every group, Penney developed the first of the ACPA’s manuals and other materials so that others could learn and maintain the skills that had been so important to maintaining her wellness.

Today several hundred ACPA support groups meet across the US and in Canada, Great Britain, and many other countries. The ACPA’s unique materials are a primary resource for individuals seeking to improve the quality of their lives and for the professionals who help them.

 

The American Chronic Pain Association does not participate in any sort of advertising or make unsolicited phone calls. If you receive an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be the American Chronic Pain Association, please report it to www.FTC.gov. For more information, please read our Privacy Policy.

The America’s Best Charities Seal of Excellence is awarded to charitable organizations that meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.

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