Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes swelling between your vertebrae, which are the disks that make up your spine, and in the joints between your spine and pelvis. Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease. This means your immune system, which normally protects your body from infection, attacks your body’s own tissues. The disease is more common and more severe in men. It often runs in families.


Ability Chart

ACPA MedCard PDF

  • A medication and allergy card that easily fits in your wallet or purse.

Back Pain Map

CARE Card

  • This graphical tool will help you to understand how your medication should be taken, what things you should avoid while taking it as well as possible side effects.

Daily Activity Checklist PDF

  • This checklist can help you to see where you are having difficulties with everyday activities.

DPN Pain Map

  • DPN person lets you create a detailed picture of your pain, where it is, how it feels, and how much it hurts.
  • This graphic representation provides a lot of important information in an easy to understand and accurate way.

Fibro Log

  • The Fibro Log can help you track the everyday things that have an impact on your pain.
  • See also Printable Tool (PDF)

Fibro Pain Map

  • This interactive tool can help you with pain management goals by helping you create a picture of your pain that you can share with your health care provider when you visit.

Follow-Up From Your Visit

  • The ACPA Follow-Up tool provides you with this simple guide to ensure that you complete all the treatments/advice/recommendations.

Head Pain Map

Migraine Conversation Guide

  • Having to live with chronic pain is difficult enough without the added burden of migraine headaches. This guide will help you to have a meaningful conversation with your health care provider. Use this tool before you go to your next appointment.

Migraine Log

  • This guide will help you to have a meaningful conversation with your health care provider.

OIC Log

  • Dealing with chronic pain is difficult enough without the added burden of Opioid Induced Constipation (OIC). Track your pain & opioid side effects regularly and you may start to see patterns in how your daily activities can affect the level of pain or OIC you experience.

Opioid Induced Constipation Conversation Guide

  • Having to live with chronic pain is difficult enough without the added burden of opioid induced constipation. This ACPA tool will help you to have a meaningful conversation with your health care provider.

Pain Log

Prepare For Your Visit PDF

  • Fill out this helpful summary before your next visit.

Quality of Life Scale

  • The Quality of Life scale is provided in two formats, graphical and text. We invite you to explore both formats to see which one might better help you to communicate with your health care provider as well as family and friends.
  • See also Spanish Version
  • See also Text Format PDF

Quality of Life Scale - Spanish

Where Does It Hurt? / Nerve Man

  • With this online tool you can learn about the different parts of the body where nerve pain can manifest.

Back Pain Map

Daily Activity Checklist PDF

  • This checklist can help you to see where you are having difficulties with everyday activities.

Head Pain Map

Migraine Conversation Guide

  • Having to live with chronic pain is difficult enough without the added burden of migraine headaches. This guide will help you to have a meaningful conversation with your health care provider. Use this tool before you go to your next appointment.

Opioid Induced Constipation Conversation Guide

  • Having to live with chronic pain is difficult enough without the added burden of opioid induced constipation. This ACPA tool will help you to have a meaningful conversation with your health care provider.

Pain Log

Quality of Life Scale

  • The Quality of Life scale is provided in two formats, graphical and text. We invite you to explore both formats to see which one might better help you to communicate with your health care provider as well as family and friends.
  • See also Spanish Version
  • See also Text Format PDF

Quality of Life Scale - Spanish

Where Does It Hurt? / Nerve Man

  • With this online tool you can learn about the different parts of the body where nerve pain can manifest.

ACPA MedCard PDF

  • A medication and allergy card that easily fits in your wallet or purse.

CARE Card

  • This graphical tool will help you to understand how your medication should be taken, what things you should avoid while taking it as well as possible side effects.

Prepare For Your Visit PDF

  • Fill out this helpful summary before your next visit.

Follow-Up From Your Visit

  • The ACPA Follow-Up tool provides you with this simple guide to ensure that you complete all the treatments/advice/recommendations.

AgrAbility:Growing Well With Pain

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Involving Patients as Equal Partners in Research

Pathways Through Pain: Priorities and Goals

This video is a powerful learning tool, blending content with context and information with emotion. Through this series, people with chronic pain can see and hear how others have become actively involved in their own recovery and enhanced the medical treatment they receive. Join us as we explore why setting personal priorities and establishing and working toward personal goals are so important in managing daily pain. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Preparing for an Opioid Emergency

It is important for you to know the signs of an opioid overdose, even if you do not take an opioid as part of your pain management treatment. An opioid overdose can happen to anyone who takes too much of an opioid. The faster you can act, the better the opportunity to save a life.

ProActive Communication Kit

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Important:
This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition.

Relaxation Guide

Tension increases pain. This five-minute relaxation exercise can help you let go of physical stress and begin to reduce your sense of suffering. If you enjoy this short relaxation experience, you may want to send for the longer audio version, available in our on-line store. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Taking Care: Talking With Your Pharmacist

ACPA and APhA have come together in a spirit of collaboration to maximize our collective experience, knowledge, and expertise to help raise awareness and build meaningful partnerships between people with pain and the pharmacists that care for them. In this video we will explore the benefits of having your pharmacist be part of your pain management treatment team. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Veterans In Pain. Learning to Live With the Pain

Learning to Live With the Pain: Many of our veterans are returning home with life-changing injuries. Chronic pain is one of the major obstacles to returning to a full life. In this video we explore the coping skills you need to deal with ongoing pain. It also can help you improve communication with your health care professionals and become an active member of your treatment team.

Video #1 What is Chronic Pain?

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Video #2 Communications Tools

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Video #3 Learning to Live With it

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Video #4 ACPA Materials

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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this video is made available with the understanding that ACPA is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. The content of this video is provided for informational purposes only. This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition. No patient-physician or patient-nurse relationship is intended to be created by ACPA making this information available to you.

Fibromyalgia 101

A look at what Fibromyalgia is, its causes and how to live life in spite of the pain. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Fibromyalgia PSA

Idaho’s First Lady Lori Otter offers a message of hope for those living with chronic pain. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Implantable Medical Devices

What You Need to Know About Medication Pumps and Neurostimulators: If your healthcare provider has suggested an implantable device, such as a medication pump or neurostimulator, you probably have lots of questions. Your own healthcare provider is the best source for answers that apply in your unique situation, but this video series provides some basic information to get you started. Knowing more can help you have more realistic expectations of how the device can help you as part of your overall pain management strategy. The greater your understanding, the better your chance of success and satisfaction with your decision.

Introduction Video

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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this video is made available with the understanding that ACPA is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. The content of this video is provided for informational purposes only. This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition. No patient-physician or patient-nurse relationship is intended to be created by ACPA making this information available to you.

Intrathecal Medication Pumps

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How Do They Work?

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What are the Benefits?

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What are the Risks?

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Reasonable Goals

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Who is a Good Candidate?

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Who is Not a Good Candidate?

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What is the Procedure?

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Intrathecal Placement

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Living With a Pump

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Maintenance

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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this video is made available with the understanding that ACPA is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. The content of this video is provided for informational purposes only. This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition. No patient-physician or patient-nurse relationship is intended to be created by ACPA making this information available to you.

How Do They Work?

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When Can They Help

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Who is Not a Good Candidate

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About the Device

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What Does it Feel Like?

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Pain Control Expectations

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Risks

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Benefits

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The Process

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Living With a Stimulator

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Ongoing Responsibilities

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The Big Picture

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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this video is made available with the understanding that ACPA is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. The content of this video is provided for informational purposes only. This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition. No patient-physician or patient-nurse relationship is intended to be created by ACPA making this information available to you.

Living With Fibromyalgia

If you have fibromyalgia---or any other long-term pain condition---you may have been told that you will need to "learn to live with it." In this presentation, Penney Cowan, ACPA founder and executive director, explains that it is possible to live with FM and still have the quality of life you want and deserve. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Opioid Induced Constipation

* * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Opioid Safety: Public Service Announcement

* * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Preparing for an Opioid Emergency

It is important for you to know the signs of an opioid overdose, even if you do not take an opioid as part of your pain management treatment. An opioid overdose can happen to anyone who takes too much of an opioid. The faster you can act, the better the opportunity to save a life.

Using NSAIDs Safely & Effectively

* * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *
Important:
This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition.

ACPA Car With Four Flat Tires

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Family Matters Series

Chronic pain may happen to one person but the whole family is affected. Our three-part video series Family Matters discusses the issues loved ones face and offers suggestions for keeping the whole family happier and more functional when chronic pain is an unwelcome guest in the home.

The Impact of Pain Video

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Coping Within the Family

Winner 2015 Telly Award * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Healing the Whole Family

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Is There Life With Pain? Pathways Through Pain: Acceptance

Hear how some people with pain see their lives now. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Meet Penney Cowan

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Pain Matters

Please click here to launch the website.

The Impact of Pain

* * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *
Important:
This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition.

What Is Chronic Pain? Pathways Through Pain: Acceptance

If you live with chronic pain, you know that chronic pain is different. Ed Covington, MD, director of the Cleveland Clinic Pain Management Program, explains some of the physiology of pain. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

What ACPA Groups Offer

Hear members' thoughts about the value of the kind of peer support offered by ACPA groups. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Welcome to the ACPA

Since 1980 we have been providing peer support and teaching coping skills to people with pain and their families. * * * Please click on the video in order for it to start playing * * *

Important:
This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with a qualified health care professional to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your medical condition.

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