Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Chronic Pain Discussed In Congress

The discussion about chronic pain is not only reaching state government, but also national government.  Recently, a discussion took place about the recognition of chronic pain at a U.S. Senate meeting in early February.

A panel of chronic pain experts spoke before a U.S. Senate committee to talk about the recognition of chronic pain as a disease and not a symptom.  This marks the first time that there was a congressional hearing regarding chronic pain.  The meeting was chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is a strong advocate for pain management awareness and the rising diagnosis of chronic pain. According to the senator, "Chronic pain is a significant public health challenge that has yet to receive adequate attention given the tremendous impact it has on people all across our nation. Chronic pain remains one of the most challenging conditions to assess and effectively treat even though its one of the top reasons for doctors visits.”  It has been estimated that the number of chronic pain diagnoses will increase as our nation's population ages.  Due to this hypothesis, it is important to raise awareness of chronic pain now and better train doctors and researchers how to effectively diagnose, treat, and manage chronic pain.

Different diagnoses exist within the larger realm of chronic pain. Working with your physician and seeing what your exact diagnosis and treatment options are is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100. 

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