Starting a Group
Facilitators Guide From Patient to Person [...]
ACPA Fall 2021 Chronicle
Click to Download the Chronicle [...]
Communication Tools
ACPA Communication Tools can help you talk more productively with your healthcare provider and identify patterns in your daily life that have an impact on your pain.
September is Pain Awareness Month
Pain Awareness Month is a time when various organizations work to raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management.
Pain Awareness Tool Kits
The American Chronic Pain Association has developed pain awareness tool kits and guides for use in your work as an advocate for those living with chronic pain.
Partners for Understanding Pain
Partners for Understanding Pain is a consortium of organizations that touch the lives of people with chronic, acute, and cancer pain.
Living With Pain: Purposeful Activities
Using purposeful activities to redirect your attention away from pain and on to things that you enjoy.
Quick Facts on Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic, widespread pain as well as a variety of other symptoms, such as tenderness, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.
Pain Management Programs
For many people, living with pain is a way of life. Living a full and active life however may seem impossible. It is actually possible to increase your level of functioning and quality life while reducing your sense of suffering.
Going to the ER
Almost everyone who lives with pain has been to the emergency room at some time. You may have gone because your pain was out of control and you could not reach your own health care team. You may have gone because you feared that your pain was a sign of a new medical problem. You may have gone because you have no insurance. Or your own doctor may have sent you there.
Self-Management Skills
Coping skills are techniques that can be helpful in managing pain. ACPA groups build on these coping skills:
Basic Rights
People with chronic pain are often “people pleasers.” We find it hard to express our needs and require that others respect them. And when our needs are not met, tension is increased and our pain seems worse.
From Patient to Person
Making the journey from patient to person takes time. The isolation and fear that can overwhelm a person with chronic pain grows over time. And the return to a fuller, more rewarding life also takes time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chronic pain is pain that continues a month or more beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or illness or that goes on for months or years due to a chronic condition. The pain is usually not constant but can interfere with daily life at all levels.
Research and Clinical Trials
People with pain can play an important role in the development of new medications by taking part in clinical trials.
Survey Findings
Information from past surveys about chronic pain and related issues can help you to understand other people's perspectives and stay informed.
Consumer Guides and Information
ACPA Consumer Guides and informational tools can help you make sense of some of the choices you have and why they are being recommended.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare coverage isn’t only limited to people 65 and older. While senior citizens have increased medical needs, there are also many younger individuals who need health care services due to their disabilities.
